RWBBY: Remnants of a Heritage
by SubtleSaber
Summary: Red like roses fills my dreams and brings me to the place you rest. White is cold and always yearning, burdened by a royal test. Black the beast descends from shadows, Blue skies so lost and far from home, Yellow beauty burns gold... The Empire has destroyed his clan and his family. He carries with him the heritage of a whole galaxy, and will uphold that legacy in his new home.
1. Chapter 1

Azrilin struggled to weave her way through the streets of Coruscant, trying to keep ahold of her son as she tugged on his arm through the thick crowds while keeping her face concealed under a cloak. Her nine year old son kept silent, still traumatized over what he had seen just days ago. His dark blue hair was messy and dirty, and his usual light tan skin was pale. Unlike her, this was his first time losing a family. She dropped her hand down to the lightsaber on her belt for comfort, trying to push away the memories of the horrors she endured during Order 66. Now, she had lost the Mandalorian clan that had accepted her as one of their own for the past decade. Clan Ceibur had been her son's whole world, now that had been ripped away from him by The Empire. Simply thinking about it brought tears to her eyes. They had been walking for hours now, and her son was obviously tired.

"Kebiin, want to rest?" She asked in Mandalorian. He knew the language of his clan better than Galactic Basic.

Her son nodded and slumped next to an alley wall.

"Mom…" Kebiin panted. "How much longer till we get to this ship you talked about?"

Azrilin took off the satchel she had been carrying an sat next to her son.

"Just a little longer… hopefully they haven't moved it since when they first started building it while the Republic was still standing."

Kebiin looked skeptical.

"Hopefully?"

"Don't worry." Azrilin said comfortingly. "They wouldn't try to move it. If this ship really is capable of crossing over to the next galaxy, they won't risk damaging it by relocating it."

Kebiin didn't look convinced.

"But… what if The Empire catches us again? we'll just end up like our clan… like Dad…"

Kebiin hugged his knees and dropped his head. Azrilin could hear him sobbing. She leaned in and put her arm around her son, rubbing his shoulder. Clutters of litter around them began to shake as the boy's emotion grew more intense. Afraid that they'd attract attention, Azrilin tried to calm her son.

"Kebiin… I know this is hard on you and that you're upset, but please, you need to calm down."

Kebiin looked up and saw the clutter around them moving. He took a deep breath and everything around them begun to lay still once again.

"Sorry Mom… I just… I just don't know how to control it…"

Azrilin always knew her son was strong in the Force, but it had been growing more and more powerfull as of late. But it wasn't just him that seemed to grow more powerful. Everything that he lingered around seemed to become more attune to the Force. She had no explanation for this, but she knew she had to do something about it, or he could lose control of his natural gifts.

"Kebiin… I know I've been reluctant to teach you, but I think it's about time."

Her son looked up at her, wiping tears from his amber-colored eyes.

"What do you mean, "it's about time"?"

Azrilin reached down to her belt and unclipped her lightsaber. She took her son's arm, placed it in his palm, and wrapped his fingers around it.

"This means a lot to me. Promise you'll take good care of it, ok?"

Her son stared at her in disbelief.

"You mean you're going to…"

"Yes. I'm going to teach you the ways of the Force and help you become a Jedi. I may be no master, but I've experienced both the Light and the Dark. I may not be proud of my Inquisitor days with the Empire, but it shaped me into the person I am now. And I hope that will give me the ability to raise you the best I can, both as a student, and as a son."

Kebiin was awestruck by what he had just heard. His mother was going to take it upon herself to train him as a Jedi. He clutched her lightsaber in his hand, and gave her a big hug.

"Okay mom." He whispered. "I promise".

They continued walking further and further away from any crowds or buildings until they saw across the distance what looked like an Imperial checkpoint. Two stormtroopers stood guard at the main gate as vehicles occasionally passed through. Several yards beyond that, there was a fenced-off area with several buildings that resembled hangers. There were several bipedal walkers and stormtroopers patrolling the base, but it didn't look like the kind of place The Empire would store a cutting-edge ship. But then again, perhaps that was the point. Azrilin bit her lip trying to find a way through.

"Mom, the transport". Kebiin pointed at an incoming vehicle out of the trooper's visual range. Azrilin understood what he meant. The transport looked like it was on a standard supply run, so there should only be two troops inside.

"Easy enough" Azrilin thought to herself.

Once the transport got closer to where they were, she used the Force to halt the vehicle to a complete stop. She could hear the men inside the driver and passenger seat arguing. She moved her way around the vehicle and used the Force once again to grip both troops while they were still inside their seats, and knocked their heads together. She heard their bodies slump as they were knocked out cold. Kebiin looked at her amazed.

"Woah! Mom, when do I get to learn how to do that?".

Azrilin smiled and dragged the bodies out of the vehicle, seating herself in the driver's seat.

"You'll learn eventually, but right now we need to get to that hanger."

Kebiin nodded and sat next to her in the passenger seat. She drove up until she came across the checkpoint. The soldiers stopped her once she had drivin up to the main gate.

"Ma'am, do you have clearance to enter this facility?" the stormtrooper asked in a monotone voice.

Azrilin raised her hand and made a sweeping motion in front of the trooper's face.

"We do not require any clearance. You will let us through."

"You… you do not require clearance. We will let you pass."

"Thank you!" Azrilin said cheerfully. The trooper moved his hand in a "move along" motion. Once they got to the door of the main hanger, Azrilin easily manipulated the door console with the force, opening it. The inside of the hanger was relatively bare, save for the ship itself and several consoles. No one stood guard inside, which was rather odd. The transporter-sized ship and the consoles necessary to launch it and plot a location were practically sitting right in front of them.

"This was too easy" Azrilin thought to herself. "The Empire is smarter than this."

She cautiously walked up toward the terminal beside the ship, and activated the launch sequence. The steel doors on the roof of the hanger opened, and the ship's loading ramp lowered. Kebiin began walking toward the ramp, but noticed his mother's hesitation.

"Mom, is something wrong?"

Azrilin took off her pack and handed it to her son.

"Something's not right… there aren't enough guards or security measures. This is too easy."

"Well we've got the ship up and running. C'mon, let's go!"

Azrilin paused. And that's when she felt it. A presence she had not felt since her days working for the Imperial Inquisitors. It felt almost… cold. The *snap-hiss* of a lightsaber igniting ringed throughout the hanger, as well as the footsteps of stormtroopers. Azrilin looked back to the entrance of the hanger, and saw her former Dark Side mentor. Xaelos, the Kaleesh Inquisitor. A Jedi hunter. He looked exactly the same as the last time Azrilin saw him all those years ago. He wore a dark grey undersuit with a black metal chest piece and shoulder pads. His gauntlets covered his entire forearm and hands, save for his claws. His legs were largely unarmored, but he wore a slanted black robe piece. His undersuit continued down his legs, but they ended half way down his shins, revealing his scaled talons. The most striking feature about him was his traditional Kaleesh mask that resembled a skull with a blood-red Imperial crest carved into the forehead. He approached them slowly, wielding his double bladed-spinning lightsaber in hand, still in single-blade mode. His unreadable reptilian eyes fixed on Azrilin.

She reached into her cloak and pulled out a half-circle guard lightsaber identical to the one Xaelos currently held in his hand and ignited it. This had been her first time using her Inquisitor lightsaber since she had left them. She turned to her son to tell him to flee.

"Kebiin! get on the ship and run!"

"No! Mom, I won't leave you here!". Kebiin sounded desperate. He had already lost his father and his clan… he wasn't prepared to loose his mother too.

The Stormtroopers began to fire as Xaelos dashed toward Azrilin, ready to strike.

"There's no time! GO!"

"Mom! don't do-"

Kebiin didn't have the time to finish his sentence as he was force pushed into the ship. The last thing he saw as the loading ramp closed were the crimson blades of his mother and the Inquisitor clashing. He felt the ship begin to rise higher and higher, and heard a loud *BOOM!* as it made the jump to hyperspace.


	2. Chapter 2

The inside of the ship was cold, and dark. Kebiin sat against the steel halls of the ship for several minutes crying to himself.

"It's over" he thought. "I'm all that's left of my clan, my family, and quite possibly the Jedi."

He had no idea where he was going to end up, but wherever it was, he would be alone. After several more minutes of crying, he decided to rummage through the pack his mother had given him before he boarded. Inside, he found several packs of food and water, along with a holodisc, a strange gold and blue cube, and… his father's white and bronze Mandalorian helmet. Upon seeing the helmet, Kebiin nearly broke down again. he clutched it close to his chest, and remembered the moments he had spent with his clan-his family. Sparring with his friends, hunting game with the adults, visiting whatever makeshift shooting range they would have made for themselves... As a Mandalorian, he wanted to live life to the fullest. To become a great warrior, bring honor to his family, and revel in victory. But now, he was just an afraid and lost little boy. He tried to put on the helmet. It didn't fit. He was simply too small.

He inspected the holodisc, and activated it. The image of his mother appeared and began to speak.

"Kebiin… if you are getting this message, then I was unable to escape with you. I'm sorry, Kebiin. I'm so, so sorry. I just wanted to let you know that you are loved. By me, your father, and all of Clan Ceibur. You are special. You carry the heritage of both the Jedi and Mandalorians within you. You're strong, and we all knew it. So I am sending you to the only world the old Jedi archives spoke of that is beyond our galaxy. It is an ancient remnant left by the old precursors of the early Jedi and Sith. I know you will live on, wherever you may find yourself."

Kebiin wiped away another tear. While he still felt depressed, he trusted his mother's judgment. If she thought he could survive, then that's what he would do. He continued to listen to the message.

"You have a special gift, and I had been reluctant to acknowledge it, fearing of what might happen to you if The Empire used your power the way they used mine. I had planned to train you, but due to current circumstances, I will not be able to. So I have entrusted your training to the man whose teachings led me away from the Dark SIde. The holocron I have left for you is the very same one I learned from. The holocron of the Jedi Knight Revan. He will guide you now that I cannot. Good luck my son. I love you, and may the Force be with you."

The recording ended. Kebiin's sorrow was still there, but he felt like he had some amount of closure. It would be a long time before he recovered from the losses he had been through, but he had some things to remember his old life by. A lightsaber, a helmet, and a message. His mother had even left him a teacher. He had heard stories of the Jedi Revan, the only person capable to defeating the Mandalorians. He admired and respected Revan for his strength and resolve, but never imagined that his mother had directly studied under him. And now he was going to as well. He couldn't feel more honored.

He took out the cube, which he now knew to be the holocron, and concentrated. He tried to reach out with the Force to get the holocron to react in some way. The holocron levitated, and its' corners begun to rotate and float away from the main body. The holographic image of a robed figure wearing a mask and hood appeared from the holocron.

"This is the holocron of Revan. General of the Mandalorian Wars, Dark Lord of the Sith, and Redeemed Jedi Knight. What is it you wish to learn?".

Kebiin stumbled back. He had made contact with a legend. Though it was just an AI, the image of Revan had a certain awe to it. It radiated power, and Kebiin could feel it. He knew Revan was speaking in Galactic Basic, and he wasn't yet fluent in that language yet. He primarily knew Mando'a.

"Umm… vaabir gar jorhaa'ir mando'a?" Kebiin asked.

The image of Revan nodded.

"Elek, Ni suvarir mando'a".

Kebiin let out a relieved sigh. He didn't know Revan was bilingual.

"My mother said you could teach me how to use the Force. To become a Jedi. Can you?" Kebiin asked in Mandalorian.

Revan responded in the same language.

"Yes, your mother did tell me to train you if she couldn't make it. I'm sorry to hear that she is gone. She was a fine person."

Kebiin lowered his head.

"Thanks… I just… miss her."

"I know you do, but she intrusted me to look after you. And that is what I will do. Are you prepared to learn the ways of the Force?"

Kebiin stood up and took a deep breath.

"Yes. I am."

Crossing galaxies would take several weeks, or even months while in hyperspace. And he intended to spend every moment on this ship learning as much as he could.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been two months since Kebiin's escape from Coruscant. And in that time, he had learned much of the Jedi's history and the Force from Revan. He could feel and hear the Force greater than before, he could sustain himself without food or water for certain amounts of time, and his ability to manipulate his environment was growing. He had even learned the basics of lightsaber combat. He had been alone on this ship for all that time, accompanied only by Revan's holocron and the empty suits of stormtrooper armor in the armory. But at least he was able to speak with his teacher even though Revan wasn't there with him in the flesh.

"Focus" Revan said. "Reach out beyond your body and feel the objects in this ship without the obstructions of your physical perceptions."

Kebiin closed his eyes and exhaled. He concentrated and tried to use the Force to levitate the stormtrooper helmets he had lain out in front of him. They started to shake, and lift slightly above the ground.

"Yes!" Kebiin thought. All he had to do was keep this up and soon-

There was a sudden jolt as the ship jumped out of hyperspace. Kebiin was nearly knocked over and the helmets toppled to the ground. Revan's holocron was flipped over on its' side. Kebiin rushed over to pick it up.

"Revan! you ok?" Kebiin asked.

"Holocrons can't feel pain, but I'm alright. It seems our journey across galaxies has ended."

Kebiin ran to the cockpit of the ship to look out the window. He saw that they were approaching a standard-sized planet that seemed to have oceans and forests. Even if he couldn't breath the atmosphere on that world, he could fit himself into a TIE pilot suit. It'd be big for him, but the respirators would help him a great deal. Once they broke through the atmosphere, Kebiin saw that they were flying over a snow-covered forest. It must have been wintertime on this world. He suited himself up with the TIE pilot helmet and respirator box, loaded his pack with Revan's holocron, the holodisc, and his father's helmet. He clipped his lightsaber on his belt, and took one of E-11 blaster rifles from the armory. Just as the ship was going to make a landing, there was a loud *THUD* as the ship rocked back and force. Scrapping sounds could be heard just outside the ship, as if something was clawing on it. Kebiin rushed back to the cockpit window to look at whatever he had crashed into. There was a giant black bird trying to tear the ship apart. Kebiin panicked. He had never seen anything like this beast. It's head was armored in a way that looked too much like the mask the Kaleesh Inquisitor wore on the day he left his galaxy, and its' jet-black feathers almost looked like blades.

The beast tore through the hull of the ship, sucking out any object that wasn't bolted down or in another room. Kebiin tried desperately to hang on, but the giant bird reached its' talons through the whole it had made and grabbed him, pulling out. The creature let go of the ship, causing it to plummet and crash of the ground below. Kebiin struggled to grab his lightsaber, and ignited it through the beast's foot. The animal screeched in pain and let him go. Now he was plummeting down to the ground fast. He had to be quick. He landed loudly on the ground, using the Force to lessen the impact. The snow blew away from where he had landed.

As soon as his adrenaline rush ended, Kebiin immediately felt wrong. His senses felt dull, and he wanted to vomit. The fight wasn't what was causing him to feel this way, something was… wrong with this world. He could barely feel something, but it wasn't the Force. There was energy being emitted by the plants and animals, but there was no binding field to connect them. It felt like he was trying to hear through cement, and it didn't seem right.

"Is this place… dead to the Force?" he thought.

His head hurt, his body was sluggish, and his stomach churned. He waddled to a tree and leaned on it with his left arm, with his right clutching his now deactivated lightsaber. He tried to focus his energy inward, letting his respirator assist him. Even if the life on this planet wasn't connected through the force, he could still use it to sustain his own body. After a few minutes of recuperating, he noticed more black creatures were surrounding him. The giant bird was nowhere in sight, but he was being circled by several wolf and bear looking animals. Even if he was out of it, these animals shouldn't be any trouble. No matter how thick their hide was, or how sharp their claws, they wouldn't be able to survive being cut in half by a lightsaber.

They charged at him, and Kebiin easily cut down the first few creatures who had attacked him. The others hung back, cautious of the glowing yellow blade that had killed their pack mates. They quickly got over of their initial nervousness, and charged at him once more. Killing the individual animals was easy, but they just kept on coming from out of the forest non stop. Kebiin quickly grew tired. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. Simply being on the planet weakened him, and even if we was born Mandalorian, he was still a child. After slaughtering another wave of the creatures, he used the Force in his body to dash out of the area. The monsters attacking him may have been powerful, but they weren't as fast as he could be. After escaping from their sight, Kebiin walked out into the forest, with no option of returning to his ship. It would be swarming with beasts, and he needed to get to somewhere where he could find shelter.


	4. Chapter 4

Seven years had passed since Kebiin had crashed on this new world. In that time, he had learned that the locals were largely human, except for the seemingly human-animal hybrids known as Faunus. They spoke some form of Galactic Basic, but the writing system and characters were different. The planet was known as Remnant, and the animals he had been attacked by when he first arrived were called "Grimm". Even though he had lived alone on the streets for the most part, he knew that there were four settlements, or "kingdoms". The one he had found himself in was called Vale. As far as he could tell, the technology on this world wasn't necessarily primitive, but it wasn't incredibly advanced either. The weapons however, were exceptional. Melee-firearm hybrids weren't uncommon, and he could appreciate how effective and sophisticated they were.

The city of Vale itself definitely had sites to see, but Kebiin never had the opportunity to visit where the rich and middle-class would have lived. He had to live off loans he would have to borrow from local gangs, mafias, and crimelords. When he couldn't take loans, he would have to steal. In his early days on Remnant, he couldn't rely on the Force. Now, it seemed that he had adjusted to the conditions on the planet. Manipulating objects had become a little easier, and he didn't have to support himself solely using the Force in his own body anymore.

Tonight was especially rough. It was almost midnight, and he hadn't eaten in nearly two days. Kebiin walked into an alleyway and sat next to a trash can, trying to use his tattered dark blue cloak to keep the cold away. He heard footsteps approaching, and could sense who they belonged to. Mafia thugs. Even if he couldn't detect them directly through the Force, he could still use it to register the energy known as "aura" the living beings on Remnant had within them. He had failed to pay off his debts last week, and the week before. He knew they would try to make an example of him. He stood up and saw four men in suits. Two of them held pistols, another held a sword, and the last held what looked like a collapsable staff.

"Hey, kid! you missed out on your last payment. The boss doesn't like it when people miss out on their payments."

The man who spoke had a typical gangster accent which Kebiin would have found comical if they weren't ready to break his legs. He stepped out from behind the trashcan and a lifted his pack, swinging it onto his shoulder.

"Guys, can we just let this go?" Kebiin asked timidly. "I didn't take that much money…"

"No can do" one of the gangsters replied. "You hardly ever repay your debts, and we can't allow that to keep happening. You may have gotten some sympathy from us as a kid, but now you're just another young punk who can't pay the money he owes".

"Is that so?" Kebiin said. "Well then I suppose I can't talk my way out of this then!"

Kebiin gripped the trashcan with the Force and hurled it at the gangsters, catching them off guard. He ran down the alley, hoping he could get away in the confusion.

"His semblance is telekinesis! catch him!"

Kebiin ran for a good minute before he was cornered against building by the thugs. He had spent all the energy he had in using the Force and running, and hadn't eaten for two days on top of that. He was in no shape to fight. The thug with the staff swung at his ribs, and Kebiin felt his side crack. He was on the ground, gasping. The others began punching and kicking him while he was on the ground. His face was bloody and he was certain he had several broken bones.

"See kid? this is what happens when you mess with us."

Kebiin coughed and curled up.

"Slanar at halan!" he sputtered.

"What'ja say to us, punk!?"

One of the men with a pistol pointed their weapon at his head, ready to fire. But from a few yards away, he felt another presence. Two in fact, and he started to hear their voices.

"Honestly sir, I have no idea why you decided to go on a midnight stroll in this part of town. It's filthy!". It was a woman's voice.

"It was you who decided to come along Glynda. Besides, It's always nice to visit place you don't normally see." A man's voice replied.

The two figures came into view. A man with white hair wearing a green suit, and a blonde woman wearing a white top and purple cape. The man looked at the scene that was taking place.

"What seems to be the issue here, gentlemen?" The man asked.

The thug with the sword pointed his weapon at him.

"It's none of your business! get out now, or-"

Kebiin sprung up, holding the E-11 that he had taken out of his pack while the thugs were distracted. He clubbed the man with the sword over the head with the handle, knocking him out. The others turned, surprised that their victim was already fighting back. The man with the staff swung again, but Kebiin stepped in and closed the gap between them. He grabbed the thug's wrist, and palm struck his face, breaking his nose. He blocked the incoming fire from the other two thugs with his staff, sweeping one off his feet and breaking the hand of the other with the staff. The thug whose hand he had just broken fell on the floor screaming, while the other stumbled back up and tried to run. The blonde woman pointed what looked like a wand at him, and sent a fireball in his direction. It impacted right in front of him, exploding and sending him flying back to where he tried to run from. He lay on the floor moaning. Kebiin tried to stand up using the staff as a support.

"Are you alright, my boy?" the man asked.

Kebiin's knees shook. The burst of energy he had mustered up with the Force faded. He felt a sharp pain in his right lung and coughed. He covered his mouth with his hand and pulled it back. He saw splatters of blood on his palm, and his vision begun to blur.

"Glynda, call an ambulance!" the man yelled.

"Right away Professor!" The woman replied.

When he came to, Kebiin was in a hospital bed. He instantly jolted up, sputtering Mandalorian.

"Vaii cuy' Ni!? meg ru'banar!? meg cuyir-"

"Relax, boy. You're in the hospital. Glynda and I brought you here. You seemed to have been through a lot."

It was the white-haired man he saw in the alley. He was sitting on a chair next to the hospital bed. He looked friendly enough, but Kebiin had learned people often had an ulterior motive when helping others.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what language you're speaking. Do you understand me?".

Kebiin relaxed a little. He was hooked up to a machine that was pumping fluids into him, and his ribs and lung felt a lot better.

"Yes… I can understand you" Kebiin said.

"Well that certainly is a relief" the man said. My name Professor Ozpin. I'm the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. Might I ask who you are?"

The Headmaster of Beacon? there was no way, Kebiin thought. Why would the Headmaster of such a prestigious warrior academy be taking a stroll in the trash part of town?

Kebiin hesitated.

"My name… my name's Kebiin. Kebiin Ceibur."

Ozpin straightened his posture.

"Kebiin? that's a rather unusual name."

"It means "blue" in my language." Kebiin said, pointing to his dark blue hair.

"And what language might that be?" Ozpin asked, intruiged.

"It's… from outside the kingdoms. It's what my… village spoke. But…"

Kebiin paused. He wasn't telling a complete lie, but he thought it would be best to adapt his story to fit what would make sense in this world. After all, the best lies always had a little bit of truth in them.

"I see." Ozpin said. "And did your people teach you how to fight like you did the other night? no mere street rat has the skill to disarm a man and deflect bullets."

"Yeah, they did. We needed to know how to fight if we were to live outside civilization."

Ozpin thought for a moment. If this boy came from a village outside the kingdoms and was now alone, he didn't need to ask what had happened to his home. It wasn't uncommon for small settlements to disappear in a single night.

"Well, Kebiin, do you have anywhere where you can stay?"

Kebiin shook his head.

"Then how would you feel about coming to Beacon Academy? you obviously know how to fight, and someone your age needs a proper education, You'd be a bit younger than the other first years, and we're already well into the first semester, but you wouldn't be the first person we've made an exception for this year."

Kebiin was stunned. He had just been invited to join one of the most well-renowned schools for training warriors. He would have food, shelter, an education, and he would be able to honor his Mandalorian heritage and continue learning from Revan like he had been doing previously the past 7 years.

"Sir, are you serious? you want some homeless kid like me to enroll in Beacon Academy?"

"I can see you are a naturally gifted warrior. I didn't need to see you take down a group of thugs to figure that out. I can see it in the way you walk, the way you carry yourself. So what is your decision?"

Kebiin already knew his answer.

"Yes! Professor Ozpin, I accept your invitation!".

Kebiin walked up to the gates of Beacon Academy. It was bright and warm today, with a slight relaxing breeze. He had quickly been discharged from the hospital, and he felt completely refreshed. He had showered, cut his hair so that it was sort of long instead of just really long, and had been given a new change of clothes. He continued forward with all of his personal belongings in his old pack, his lightsaber on his belt, and his newly washed but still tattered cloak thrown onto his back. He couldn't wait to settle in and tell Revan.


	5. Chapter 5

"Did you hear? we're getting a new student today!"

"Right now? but we're almost half way through the year!"

"I hear he's a whole year younger than all the other first years. Except for that girl Ruby, of course."

"Apparently, he's a foreigner! I wonder if he can speak any other languages…"

"He better be good if he got into this school no problem while the rest of us actually had to work for it!"

Team RWBY kept hearing things like this as they walked through the halls in between classes. Transfer students wouldn't normally be such a big deal, but this new kid was supposedly admitted by Ozpin himself. And on top of that, it seemed that he had little to no academic, or any, background.

"Honestly, all this gossip about that new boy is getting somewhat irritating." Weiss complained as they walked their way to Professor Goodwitchs' class.

"Yeah, I hope this guy lives up to the hype" said Yang.

"C'mon, we shouldn't make too much of a deal out of this" Ruby countered. "Remember how nervous I was on the first day for being jumped two years ahead? we should just treat him like all the other students!"

Blake just kept walking with her team, looking rather indifferent.

They arrived to class earlier than they expected. Professor Goodwitch was standing on the sparring stage, holding a tablet and talking to a tanned boy with dark blue hair and amber colored eyes. He looked younger than the other students Ruby had seen, so she figured this must be the new student. They hadn't noticed they were at the door, and Ruby could hear their conversation from across the room.

"Sorry Prof. Goodwitch, Mr. Ozpin said I could just explore around the academy to get a feel for it before I was assigned to a team. And I'm pretty sure I got lost…"

The boy sounded a little timid, but excited. From that look in his eye, it seemed that this was his first time being in a place like this.

"That's fine, umm… Kebiin, was it?"

"That's right."

"You can stay for this class if you want. It's much more active than the lectures. You can even participate if you feel like."

The boy squeezed his arm, looking nervous.

"I guess I'll stay… but I'm trying to keep a low profile for today. I don't want everyone talking just because I'm the new kid."

Ruby looked at Yang.

"See? I told you!" Ruby said a little too loud.

The boy jumped and jerked his head toward the door, looking and the four girls. He quickly regained his composure, but looked a little embarrassed. He jumped off the stage and took a seat at the back of the room. Yang grinned at her sister and gave her a light punch on the shoulder.

"I thought you said not to attract any attention to him." Yang chuckled.

"Hey, I didn't mean to- oh, nevermind…" Ruby walked into the classroom followed by Weiss, who rolled her eyes. Blake followed in suit as the rest of their classmates began to pour in.

Kebiin sat at the back of the class, watching the other students spar on the stage. The fighting styles he had observed have been very acrobatic and flashy, unlike the militaristic straight-to-the-point style he learned from his clan. After several rounds, a large heavily armored boy was called up to the stage.

"Mr. Cardin, you may choose your opponent" Glynda said.

Cardin scanned the room. A scraggly blonde boy near the front of the room winced when Cardin's eyes traced over him, but he relaxed when Cardin's gaze continued away from him. He settled on Kebiin.

"How 'bout that kid? the newbie?"

"He has specially requested not to take part in sparring this class. Please choose someone else." Glynda told Cardin.

"Wow, I didn't expect this new guy to be such a wimp!" Cardin laughed to himself. Several others in the crowd seemed to agree.

"Mr. Winchester, I believe that is-"

"No!" Kebiin stood up. He had originally wanted to lay low, but the Mandalorian in him didn't want to back down to this obvious bully. "I'll fight him."

Glynda hesitated. "Very well then." she said.

The two combatants stood on opposite sides of the stage. The lights dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the stage. Kebiin was unarmed, while Cardin wielded a mace.

"Kick his ass Cardin!" a voice cried from the crowd. "Show him what it takes to get into Beacon!"

Cardin smirked and gave Kebiin a menacing look. He wanted to just get this over with. The countdown to the match reached zero, and Cardin charged at him. Kebiin stood still, holding his position.

"C'mon, just a little more…" Kebiin thought. "Closer…"

Cardin was just a few feet away from him, and he brought his arm back far to swing his mace. Too far, in fact. Kebiin found his opening. In the blink of an eye, he force dashed toward Cardin, barely giving him enough time to react. Kebiin Grabbed Cardin's weapon arm in mid-swing with his left hand, and drove his right elbow into his throat in one motion. Cardin dropped his mace and clutched his throat, gasping for air. He won. The time? 3.7 seconds. The room was dead silent, except for Cardin's sputtering and gurgles.

"Well done. You may choose to continue or take a seat." Prof. Goodwitch almost sounded impressed.

Kebiin got off the stage as the Professor helped Cardin to get back up on his feet. He hurried back to his spot in the back of the room. On his way, he saw an amazed expression on the face of the blonde guy who nearly panicked earlier, and the young looking girl in a red hood he saw before class give him a thumbs up.

Ruby was stunned. Her own semblance was speed, but she had never seen anyone end a sparring round that quickly with so few moves. She looked over to Jaune, who seemed even more amazed than she was. His bully had been beaten in less than five seconds by this seemingly antisocial newbie. Ruby hoped that would boost his confidence a little. A few more minutes passed, and class finally ended. Ruby tried to catch a glimpse of the blue haired boy as he left the room.

"See something you like?" Yang joked.

Ruby blushed.

"What? No!? it's just… the way he pulled that off…"

"I bet there's a lot of things he could pull off!" Yang winked at her.

"Yang!" Ruby protested

"Oh please, I'm only teasing! relax, sis!".

Ruby made a pout face as Weiss called out for them to hurry up.

"C'mon, slowpokes! we gotta get to history!"

"We can discuss Kebiin's victory over Cardin later. We should go before we're late" Blake reaffirmed.

"How'd you know his name?" Yang asked.

"Were you or were you not listening to his conversation with the Professor?"

"Fair enough. But you're right, lets go."

Kebiin regretted what he did during that fight. He had shone off, which was the last thing he wanted on his first day. Although it was satisfying to take a big guy down a notch or two. He walked through the empty halls, occasionally catching glimpses of on-going classes. He noticed what looked like a history class that was in session. Many of the students from Prof. Goodwitch's class were in there, including Cardin, the girl in the red hood, and the scraggly blonde boy. The teacher was dashing all over the room, talking a mile a minute. He was wearing a loose tie and glasses, and his green hair was stuck back as if he were sticking his head out of a moving car. He was rambling on about a war when he noticed Kebiin standing at the door.

"Ah, you must be or new student! please, take a seat! history is quite fascinating, isn't it?"

Kebiin was caught off guard by the Professor's straightforwardness.

"Sir, I'm not sure if-"

"Professor Bartholomew Oobleck! now please, I insist! it seems that team RWBY has a spot next to them open. You can just take that."

"Uh… yes sir- I mean Mr. Oobleck."

Kebiin noticed the spot next to the girls. There was the red hooded girl he saw before, a rich-looking girl with white hair, a faunus girl wearing a bow over what he presumed to be cat ears, and an incredibly attractive blonde. The blonde waved excitedly and opened up a space between her and the faunus girl. RWBY… red, white, black, yellow. The team was literally color coded. He smiled a bit and tried to ignore Cardin's gaze as he walked through the classroom to sit in the spot the blonde girl invited him to. He took his seat, and Oobleck immediately continued his light-speed lecture. What did this guy have in his coffee? liquified hyperdrive?

Kebiin earnestly tried to follow what the professor was saying, but he may as well just cheat off of another student's paper just to understand what was going on. The blonde leaned over and looked at him.

"Hey… I'm Yang" she said nonchalantly. "I hear you're new in town."

"Well I've been in town for a while, I'm just new to this part of it. Shouldn't we be trying to pay attention?"

"I also hear you're a foreigner. Do you speak any other languages?" she asked.

Kebiin thought a moment.

"Elek, Ni liser, a ru'kir vi Ke'sush' at te mirsh'nyn?"

Yang giggled.

"Oh, that is soooo cool! hey, how old are you?"

"Sixteen. Why?"

Yang turned to the red girl.

"Hear that Rubes? he's younger than the rest of the first years just like you!"

Ruby looked back at Yang and signaled for her to sush up.

"Shhh! quiet! we could get in trouble!"

The girl in white in between them scowled at both of them.

"Will you two just pipe down already? I'm trying to focus!"

"Jeez Weiss, no need to be snappy." Yang teased.

The group stopped talking for a moment and the Professor didn't seem to notice the conversation. Kebiin thought that maybe things settled down finally. The brief moment of peace was once again broken by Yang. Even if it did look a little irritating from the outside, Kebiin didn't mind the conversation. Besides, being interrogated by a hot blonde wasn't so bad.

"Sooooo… Oh! I forgot to ask you your name!"

"I already told you his name." The faunus girl said. Kebiin realized this was the first time she spoke all class. She seemed rather quiet and reserved.

"I know, but I just wanted to hear him say it!" Yang said cheerfully.

"It's Kebiin. It translates into blue." Kebiin once again pointed at his hair

"Oh neat! you could join our little group of colored missfits!"

"Yang, please. It's only his first day. You can try flirting with him after class." The faunus girl said quietly.

"Oh, fine." Yang said. "I just wanted to get to know him, y'know? sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or anything."

"No, it's alright. I'm just not used to talking about myself this much."

"I see. Well, I could introduce you to the rest of our gang after class! What'dya say?"

Kebiin laughed a little. Her cheeriness was refreshing after what he had to live through the past few years.

"Sure, I'll take you up on that offer."

They continued to listen (or at least tried to) to the lecture. From what he understood, there had been some sort of war between faunus and humans. He knew that much of humanity hated faunus, but he never knew there was an actual war between the two up until now. The more he listened, the more he seemed to catch up with Oobleck's way of teaching. The faunus had always been treated like second class citizens over the course of history, and it was inevitable that they would rise up. After a good chunk of time passed, the bell rang.

"Alright class, remember to finish tonight's assignment by tomorrow! It will be important for understanding what many scholars believe to be the turning point of the war."

Kebiin walked through the hallways on their way to lunch with the rest of team RWBY, with Yang introducing him to all the other members. Ruby was the youngest girl in the school at age 15. She was also the leader of the team and Yang's little sister. Weiss was heir to the Schnee Dust Company and seemed to have a bit of a short temper. Blake was the faunus girl, but Kebiin soon realized that she was actively hiding her being a faunus by wearing her black bow. He made a note to himself not to bring it up with anyone but her. Assuming he actually did talk to her about it.

"So, are you going to join a team here at Beacon then?" Ruby asked.

"I definitely know I want to go here now, but I'm not sure exactly how the choosing process goes. I figured I would just talk to Professor Ozpin about it." Kebiin said.

"Well when we first chose our teams, we were launched from the sky into a forest full of monsters and got paired up with whoever we saw first." Said Yang.

"Don't forget about the matching chess pieces" Blake added.

"Huh. Sounds a bit chaotic." Kebiin remarked.

"Chaotic would be an understatement…" Weiss moaned.

They soon arrived at the cafeteria and took their seats near another four-person team. Kebiin sat across from the scraggly blonde guy he saw a few times already, a red haired girl with green eyes, a boy wearing an oriental-style green gi, and an eccentric looking orange-haired girl. Ruby introduced them as Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren. Team JNPR.

"So Kebiin, what's your first impression of Beacon?" Pyrrha asked.

"It's definitely different than what I'm used to, but it's fantastic. I still need to get my uniform and get assigned to a team to make it all official though."

"Well it sounds quite exciting for you!" She paused and looked at Jaune. "So Jaune told me that you beat Cardin in the sparring ring today."

Jaune nearly choked on the sandwich he was chewing and looked around to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation. He stammered a bit as he tried to speak.

"Well uh… I didn't say he *beat* him beat him, just umm… beat him."

"Well honestly, I didn't want to fight in the first place." Kebiin said. "I just saw the way he looked at you and me and got the sense he was a bully. I didn't want to keel over to the way he called me a coward. It's hard for me to not respond to something like that."

"Well then I guess you're just a lot stronger than me..." Jaune moaned.

Kebiin took a sip of his juice before responding. "Not necessarily. I'm still new, so I don't know everything that works around here. But if you were good enough to make team leader, then to me you deserve it. In my old home, my family appreciated and rewarded skill and talent. Becoming a leader means you have both."

"Thanks… I appreciate it. Really." Jaune looked over to Pyrrha who looked like she agreed with Kebiin. Even if it was minute, he seemed a little more hopeful.

The school day soon ended and everyone was on their way to their dorms, except for Kebiin. Team RWBY waved goodbye as he walked in the opposite direction of their dorm, heading for Ozpin's office. Ruby climbed onto her bunk as the others slumped onto their beds.

"So what do you think of him?" Yang asked the others

"He seems alright, but I get this uneasy feeling around him. Almost like he's hiding something." Said Weiss.

"Why do you figure that?" Blake asked. "If he grew up on the streets like he said, he might not want to share everything."

"I don't know what it is, he just has this strange feeling about him."

"That's not much of a reason to feel unsure about him."

"I thought we already talked about this!" Ruby interjected. "It's only his first day! he's just not used to all this yet."

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with you there, sis" Yang said. "He seemed rather open when we introduced ourselves though."

"Well I guess time will tell…" said Weiss.

It was getting dark, but Kebiin felt he had a better sense of the layout of the school thanks to Yang. He was a little far from Ozpin's office, but it wasn't anything to complain about. He continued down when he saw the silhouette of a muscular male approach him. It was Cardin. Kebiin stepped back, only to be pushed back forward by three other guys. He could take them on, but he didn't want to start any out-of-ring fights on his first day of school either.

"Hey, newbie. Y'know, everyone seems to be talking about our last round together. Now, I've been beaten before, but the way you showed me up back there… we can't have that now, can we? people might get the impression that I'm not up to the challenge here."

Kebiin didn't respond. There was no one around except for Cardin and his goons. He was completely surrounded. " _It's fine"._ He told himself. " _You've been in worse spots…"_

One of the others suddenly grabbed him from behind and took his pack, dumping the contents. The first thing Cardin grabbed was the white and bronze helmet that belonged to Kebiin's father.

"Hey, give that back!" Kebiin shouted, enraged.

"Woah, touched a nerve with this thing, have I?"

He inspected the helmet, unsure what to make of it. He tried to put it on. Kebiin lost it. No mere punk was going to wear the helmet of any Mandalorian, especially his father's. He headbutted the guy who was holding him from behind, smacking his nose. He let go and clutched his face, moaning. The others moved in to punch him, but he dodged and clubbed one of their foreheads with the emitter of his lightsaber, and kicked the other straight in the gut. Cardin dropped the helmet and went straight for Kebiin's throat, but he instinctively used the force to push him across the whole hallway, landing right on his back. Cardin brought his head back up with his back still on the ground. He was shocked. He assumed that Kebiin's semblance was speed, but now he had just thrown him across a hallway without so much as touching him. Kebiin picked up his pack and neatly put everything back inside, but carried his helmet under his arm. He walked over to Cardin, who was still on the ground, and placed his boot onto Cardin's neck.

"Now you know where you and I stand. Leave me alone, or I swear on my code I will end you."

Cardin was just about terrified. The usual soft look in Kebiin's amber eyes seemed to glow with anger. He gave off an aura that seemed to taint the area around him, making him feel uneasy. This kid was pissed, alright. And all over some lousy helmet? Cardin slowly nodded and went to inspect his beaten teammates.

"Ne shab'rud'ni!" Kebiin shouted back as he walked toward Ozpin's office. It was one of the stronger warnings in Mandalorian, but even if they couldn't understand exactly what he was saying, he got his point across.

Ozpin heard a knock at his door as he took another sip of his coffee.

"Come in."

Kebiin walked in, looking agitated.

"Something the matter?"

Kebiin squeezed his own arm.

"No sir. Just had a little complication with another student. Nothing major."

Ozpin wasn't convinced, but decided not to pursue him on the subject just yet. If things got out of hand, he knew how to deal with it.

"Today we set up what will be your test for officially joining the academy. I hear that many of the students have a misconception you are already an official student and that you managed to skip all your trials. Tomorrow, you will undergo the exact same test we put all the other first years through. But first, it seems you need a weapon to call your own. You can't get by here with just an ornate metal baton."

He pointed to the lightsaber on Kebiin's belt. If only he knew what it actually was…

"Also, each student here identifies with a specific symbol. These symbols are often family crests, but it would help a great deal if you could find a crest to identify with."

Kebiin actually had several symbols he could pick. The Mandalorian skull, the crest of his specific clan, and the crest of the old Jedi order. And he knew which one to pick.

"Do you have a paper and pen, sir?"

Ozpin reached under his desk and handed him what he needed. Kebiin scribbled on the notepad for a moment before looking satisfied, showing it to Ozpin.

"Interesting. Is this of your own creation or a pre-existing crest?"

"It's a very old symbol. It was well-known from where my mom was from."

"I see. Well that'll make your transfer to this academy feel a little more smooth." Ozpin said as he folded the paper and put it in his coat pocket.

"Understood. So umm… where am I staying for the night?"

"We have a few extra dorms available." Ozpin handed him a key card with the number of the room it belonged to. "You can stay there for tonight. Just remember to tidy it up when you leave for your test in the morning."

"Yes, sir. Thanks again… for everything." Kebiin said.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but remember you still haven't joined the academy. Don't thank me just yet. Good luck on your trial tomorrow."

"I won't let you down sir!" Kebiin exclaimed. As he walked out, Kebiin whispered to himself.

"Burc'ya vaal burk'yc, burc'ya veman…". He smiled.

"I'm sorry?" Ozpin heard him.

"It's just a phrase sir. My current situation reminded me of it."

"What does it translate into?" Ozpin asked.

"A friend in need is a friend indeed."


	6. Chapter 6

Kebiin arrived to his room soon after his discussion with the Headmaster. It was a little dusty, but it was leagues better than sleeping next to a garbage can. He sighed, realizing how tired he was. But he still wanted to talk to Revan…

He sat down and took out the holocron from his pack, activating it. The familiar masked image of Revan appeared

"Hello, Kebiin." Revan said. "We haven't spoken in a while. You didn't get into any trouble that would've gotten your legs broken, have you?"

"No need to worry, it was just a few ribs." Kebiin said that playfully, but he wasn't joking.

"Hmph. I see." Revan folded his arms. "I see that we're not in our usual hiding spot."

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that. You see… I was invited to join Beacon Academy. I'm taking my test tomorrow."

Kebiin couldn't see Revan's face, but his body language indicated surprise.

"You mean that warrior academy? well, I think that'll suit you quite well. Just don't forget or neglect your Force training. I get the feeling that'll help you against your local competition."

"I didn't intend to neglect it at all. Actually, that's one of the reasons I wanted to speak with you. From what I can tell, I'll be dropped out of the sky into the forest. This will be the first time I've had to face Grimm since when we first crashed onto the planet. Any advice?"

Revan thought a moment.

"Your mother said in her message that this world is an old remnant that the ancient Jedi and Sith had some form of contact with. However, the Force as you and I know it seems to have little presence on this planet. You told me years ago that all living things here had "aura", which can shield them from harm, while the Grimm do not. I have thought about this for a while and I think I've come up with a possible theory as to why this is."

"And what might that be?" Kebiin asked.

"If the ancient Jedi and Sith were here at some point, this planet would have to have been connected to the Force. It is possible to sever connections to the Force with powerful Force techniques, both Light and Dark. I believe that a catastrophic event such as that took place here. What remained of the Lightside on this world eventually adapted into aura, guarding individual organisms instead of being a connected field. The Darkside that remained manifested itself in the form of the Grimm. This is why they do not have aura."

Kebiin was a little taken aback at how much Revan had deciphered. But again, it was just a theory.

"But I didn't sense the Darkside in the Grimm when we first crashed here years ago. Why couldn't I sense them?"

"Likely because you were delirious when you first felt how empty this planet was. Your body shut out anything you couldn't perceive with your natural physical senses in order to allow the Force within you to keep you alive. Now that your powers have been returning over the years, you can test my theory simply by seeing if you can sense the Grimm when you go to your trial. I could be wrong, but I'm confident that will be the case."

"But I could feel the aura in the organisms that weren't Grimm. If Grimm are a manifestation of the Darkside and aura is an altered version of the Light, why couldn't I feel them too?"

"When young Jedi first feel the Darkside, it is different for everybody. To some, it is like a calling flame, burning with passion and emotion. This was similar to what I had felt as Darth Revan. To others, it is almost like a cold and empty death-almost alien. The Grimm are not the Force in its true form the way it resides with you. There are bound to be some fundamental differences. Perhaps the Grimm do infact have a binding field, but you couldn't sense it because it had developed and changed so far from what you and I know."

Kebiin was confused. He was more in tune with the Lightside than the Dark, but he didn't sense the Darkside in the Grimm simply because it was "different" for everyone?

"Revan, could you sense it at all?"

"No. I'm not the physical Revan. I can't sense things through the Force the way he could. I may look and think like him, but I am only able to communicate and teach, not perform or interact."

"Right…" Kebiin sighed. He sometimes forgot his mentor was just a small hologram and AI.

"Well, I think I'm going to turn in for the night. Test and all that." He needed time to contemplate Revan's theory.

"Good idea. Talk to you later, Kebiin. Good luck. May the Force be with you." His image faded back into the holocron.

Kebiin placed Revan's holocron back in his pack and crawled under the sheets of one of the beds. He forgot how comfortable beds were… he quickly fell asleep, thinking about what Revan had said.

Kebiin woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. He followed the usual routine a normal person would for the first time in a long while. He showered, got into a new change of clothes, fixed up the room, grabbed his pack, and headed down to the cafeteria. Ruby waved at him and offered him a seat across from her and Weiss. Yang was chatting it up with the members of team JNPR, and Blake was engrossed in a book she was reading. He caught a glimpse of Cardin and his team, who quickly turned away. Jaune saw this and perked up just a tad bit.

"So how was your first night here at Beacon?" Ruby asked inquisitively.

"Way more comfortable than the alleys downtown." Kebiin replied.

"So you all prepped up for your exam?"

"All I know about the test is what you guys told me the other day. I think Blake said something about… checkers pieces?"

"Chess pieces" Blake corrected. "Those were the relics that we were supposed to collect. The people who gathered each of the four same kind of piece were all put on the same team."

"I thought Yang said it was "the first person you saw"? what if the first person you first ran into picked a different piece than you?"

Ruby and Weiss looked at eachother. "I… don't know…" they both said simultaneously.

"Huh. Odd. So uhh… what pieces did you guys choose?"

"I don't think I should say. It's best if you chose for yourself without any prior knowledge of who you'll end up with." Blake said.

"I know what you mean, but I just don't want to end up with a team like CRDL. And you guys are pretty much the only other people I know here so…"

"I think Blake is right" Weiss interjected. "We just met you and we're already an established team. It's best if you let the chips fall where they may. It's just that… well..."

"I see…" Kebiin bit into a piece of toast before continuing. He knew when people were being cautious around others. He could feel it coming from both Weiss and Blake. He had seen his clan refuse other Mandalorians from integrating into their group for various reasons. One of them being the disruption of an already established and effective system. He didn't really take offense to what Weiss was were hinting at, it was just another aspect of Mandalorian culture to him. She felt that they simply didn't need another member. Although Kebiin wouldn't be lying if he said he wasn't a little disappointed.

"Well I'm going to go check if I can get a weapon ordered in time for the exam." He stood up to leave and waved at Yang who waved back as he left the cafeteria.

Ruby turned to Weiss. "What was that all about? you probably made him feel like he's not wanted or something!"

"That's not what I tried to go for!" Weiss exclaimed. "I'm just saying that there's a reason we're put into teams of four at the very beginning of the year. We develop unity as a group. Throwing a stranger into the mix could complicate things. Besides, I still get weird vibes off of him."

"So you don't want him on the team because you think he's weird?"

"Thats not what I meant! I mean that-"

Blake listened to the two of them arguing back and forth. Truth was, she was also cautious of Kebiin. The difference between her and Weiss was that Weiss was operating on a gut feeling and being vocal about it. Blake knew what signs to look for, and Kebiin had them. She of all people should know. And her experience in the subject of deception was exactly why she defended him the night before. He had something to hide, she had something to hide. She wanted to respect that. But putting two liars in a single team together could cause complications for the both of them.

Kebiin stood on a metal platform on top of a cliff overlooking a forest. Ozpin stood in front of him pacing back and forth, while Glynda stood by his side holding a tablet. All of the team leaders including Ruby and Cardin stood a few yards behind him, holding similar tablets. He held an SMG-like weapon that he had ordered a few hours ago, but it didn't feel as solid as he would like. Perhaps he just needed to get used to it. Ozpin started to speak.

"You must navigate your way through the forest and find a relic that will decide the team you will be placed in for the rest of your time here at Beacon. But to get down there, you will need your own "landing strategy". You will be falling from the sky. Do not hesitate to annihilate anything that gets in your path. We will be observing your progress as you make your way to the relics. Good luck."

So then the metal platform he stood on was a launch pad? Shouldn't be difficult. He put his left foot in front of his right, bent his knees, and widened his stance, bracing himself. The launch strung up, and he was flung far into the air. The wind roared in his ears, but the feeling of the cool air beating against his face was exhilerating. He started to drop, and used the Force to soften his impact against the ground.

"Child's play" He thought to himself. He had no idea where he should go, but he headed deeper into the forest. Hopefully he'd come across something.

His trek through the forest was mind-numbingly uneventful and tiring. Is this really what the other students had to go through? He hadn't come across anything that would be a "relic", or any Grimm for that matter. He came across a small clearing that seemed rather peaceful and quiet. He decided to sit down and meditate. Maybe if he listened Force, he could figure out where he needed to go. He sat down, closed his eyes, and reached out with the Force. It had been a while since he attempted deep meditation like this. The lack of the binding field that made the Force unique was absent from this world, making it redundant to do this. Kebiin didn't think it would work, but he couldn't think of any other immediate options.

He felt the usual isolated aura, but there was something else… something familiar. He hadn't felt something like this since when he was on the ship he came to Remnant on. The field was there, but it was smaller than what he had experienced all those years ago. It wasn't very established or exceptionally powerful, but it was… growing. Something inside his head seemed to clear up the moment he felt the developing presence of the Force. He seemed to be losing tension in his muscles that he didn't even know were tense in the first place. Had this developing Force always been there? Why hadn't he detected it before?

His senses felt sharper now. He felt more relaxed and more aware now that he had finally felt the Force beyond his own body. And that's when he sensed them… the hatred, the rage, the cold. The creatures of Grimm had surrounded his clearing just behind the trees. Revan was right. There was no mistaking it. They were of the Darkside. And more were being drawn to his location. He raised his SMG, and the Grimm walked out of the brush into clear view. He pulled the trigger on his weapon, but it failed to fire. He looked at his weapon and inspected it more thoroughly. The clip and chamber had been sabotaged. Cardin was the first person to come to his mind when looking for someone to blame.

More and more Grimm approached him, but they kept their distance. What must have been at least a dozen Ursa and Beowolves total surrounded him, looking both bloodthirsty and curious. This was bad. Very bad. He threw the SMG onto the ground and unclipped his lightsaber, but didn't ignite it. He again reached out with the Force, but this time, it was directed right at the Grimm that were in his path. Could they feel this new field too? If they were of the Force like him, could they somehow communicate?

He stretched his arm out to them, and one of the Beowolves approached closer. He could sense their curiosity. He started to touch their minds with the Force, trying to calm their rage. The Beowolf closest to him shook its head and grabbed at its own face. It was resisting him. The others behind it were coming closer now. He outstretched both his arms, using the force to push them back ever so slightly. Now that he had formally tapped into the Force in his environment, he felt more powerful and confident. He reached out further, trying to hear the minds of all the Grimm around him.

His concentration was broken by the loud cry of a Nevermore circling above his head. The Grimm had broken free.

" _This isn't the time to experiment. Not with this many Grimm around."_ Kebiin thought. He broke his connection to the beasts and instead focused his mind on any machinery in the area. More specifically, cameras. Ozpin said the others would be watching, and he didn't want that for what he was about to do. He detected the small and simplistic oscillations of synthetic energy around the environment, and shut them off. He killed any video feed that would be monitoring him. The Grimm around him charged as he ignited his lightsaber.

Ruby and the rest of the team leaders had been watching Kebiin's rather dull hike through the forest for at least two hours before they saw him sit down and apparently rest in the middle of a clearing. Grimm started to surround the clearing, and Kebiin discarded his weapon.

 _"What was he doing?"_ Ruby thought. _"He was being circled by a hoard of monsters while he just… stood there!"_

She saw him outstretch his arms and the Grimm seemed to… avoid him. They didn't attack like the would for anyone else. They looked confused, and were slowly backing away. It was almost like they were watching an animal trainer at the zoo.

"Well it seems he's making some new friends." Jaune joked. There was a certain uneasiness in his voice. He tried to lighten up the mood, but no one really knew what Kebiin was up to. They all held their breath waiting to see what would happen next.

They heard the loud screech of a Nevermore both through the speakers on their tablets and out in the distance beyond the forest. The Grimm regained their composure, and Kebiin looked like he had been slapped awake. The video they were all viewing was replaced by static the moment the Grimm charged.

The silent tension in the area was replaced by an eruption of voices and confusion. All the other leaders were asking each other what had happened, wondering if they had just seen the last of their new transfer student. While Ozpin wasn't being as vocal about this, he definitely had a look of concern on his face. He didn't plan this.

"Sir, we should send an airship to check on him. He's just one boy, and we have no idea what he's up against now." Prof. Goodwitch said.

"Patients Glynda. If he is as skilled as we believe, then we will make it out alive. He stated very clearly that he doesn't want to be treated specially, so we will wait and see how things play out."

Honestly, sometimes she just didn't understand the Headmaster at times. He was going to risk this boy's life just on a hunch?

"Have some faith Glynda" Ozpin reassured. He turned to the crowd to speak.

"Relax, all of you!". The cliff top fell silent again. "Kebiin is a skilled fighter. There is a reason he even has the opportunity to take the exam. The events that will happen will happen, regardless if we can see it or not."

The team leaders started to settle down a bit, but there was still audible chatter throughout the area.

"Jaune… you don't think that he's-"

He cut her off before Ruby could finished her question.

"No, of course not! It's just like Professor Ozpin said. He's tough. He's got this…" Jaune looked out beyond the cliff onto the forest, as if reassuring himself of what he just said.

"Right. He's not facing anything any of us couldn't handle…" But Ruby knew there was a difference between their test and this. She had everyone else helping eachother to fight off anything that would've outclassed them, not to mention that they were actually armed. Kebiin was alone, disarmed, and hopelessly outnumbered. They could hear the sounds of roaring echoing throughout the forest.


	7. Chapter 7

The cameras were dead, Grimm were everywhere, and Kebiin was once again in tune with the Force that he now knew surrounded him. He felt a rush of exhilarating power as he let the Force flow through him and his opponents, sending him into a combat trance. The Grimm constantly charged at him, doing everything in their power to claw and bite at him. The world almost seemed to be moving in slow motion. He could see exactly when and where the Grimm would strike, and he would bring his blade up to meet it, severing whatever it came into contact with. They were definitely powerful and vicious animals, but they weren't the ones with the lightsaber. One by one, the Grimm fell before him, slowly evaporating as they lay in half on the ground.

Before Kebiin realized how many he had slain, only a handful of the original number of Grimm remained. He snapped out of his trance, covered in sweat and breathing heavily. The Beowolves and Ursa retreated into the forest. He won. Or at least, he thought he did until the Nevermore above him swooped down and grabbed him by his cloak. The jolt of the action made him jump, and with one powerful flap of its wings, the Nevermore took off.

The beast rose higher and higher, heading further south from where Kebiin originally landed. He struggled to get out of its grip, trying to unhook either the claws from his cloak, or the cloak itself. He tried to swing upward at the leg of the Nevermore when he realized something. He had dropped his lightsaber.

"Well… here we go again…" Kebiin groaned.

Ruby and Jaune were still huddled up with the rest of the team leaders, trying to get some sort of signal to reconnect with the cameras. After several minutes, the video and audio feed was restored on their tablets. Ruby sighed in relief until she noticed that Kebiin was missing from the scene. There was no blood on the ground, so at least she knew that he hadn't been ripped limb from limb. The evaporating corpses of Grimm littered the area, with many of them being cut in half. However, the cuts didn't look like they had been sliced by a blade, but the wounds were cauterized, almost as if they had been burned in half.

"Hey, look." Jaune pointed to a small spot on Ruby's screen. The silver and black batton Kebiin wore on his belt sat in the middle of the field, obscured by the amount of smoke coming off of the Grimm's lifeless bodies.

"From the looks of it, I don't think he just decided to leave it there on purpose."

Ruby agreed. Kebiin was protective of what little personal belongings he had. If he defeated all the Grimm in the area and moved to a different spot, he would've taken everything he had on him. He wouldn't be that careless to leave something behind without reason.

"Hey, can you check any of the other camera feeds?" Jaune asked. "We should check if he's OK."

Ruby clicked through a bunch of the camera feeds, unable to find a trace of Kebiin.

"He's… he's nowhere… I thought there were supposed to be cameras throughout the whole exam zone?"

"Didn't we hear a Nevermore right before the camera feed ended?"

Ruby's eyes widened. "You don't think…"

"Well you and Weiss hitched a ride on one during our exam. I don't see why it wouldn't be impossible."

The Nevermore carried Kebiin further and further away from where he originally was, and he was convinced that he was going to become lunch for a nest of Nevermore hatchlings. He struggled furiously, trying to get out of the monster's grip. He had been working on unhooking his cloak, but the constant movement of the Nevermore's flying made concentrating on anything difficult.

Realizing that getting the monster to set him free wasn't going to work the conventional way, Kebiin decided to try a different approach. If he had manipulated the Beowolves and Ursa, then it stood to reason that he could influence a Nevermore. Even if he couldn't control it, all he needed was that moment of hesitation and confusion. He stopped struggling, relaxed his body, and listened to the Force. Revan once told him that one of his former masters had at one point taught him how to very nearly completely control another creature. While Kebiin had nothing to practice on, Revan still described it the best he could at the time.

The Nevermore's mind was stronger than the other Grimm he had encountered earlier. The emotions and of the Darkside were still there, but it felt more controlled, yet intense. In terms of power, it was more experienced and strong, but still untamed. No matter how powerful the Grimm would get, they were still animals. And Kebiin could take advantage of that.

Kebiin did his best to let his mind free and completely open to the Force. The howling winds and occasional jolt from the Nevermore's lack of consideration for Kebiin's life made it difficult, but he eventually made solid contact with the beast's mind. And he immediately regretted it.

He saw first hand how twisted this mutated version of the Darkside was. The panicking animal tried to reject him, but it was failing to do so. Kebiin tried to lock himself out, but it was almost as if he was stuck inside its mind. They had a death grip on each other, and it was agonizing. Kebiin knew of the horrors the Dark Side could bring from stories told by his mother and Revan, but he never had any personal experience. The primal instincts of the Nevermore, the malice from its dark taint, and the completely foreign design of its thoughts made Kebiin feel like his head was being crushed by the pressure of a boiling sea.

In the confusion of their locked minds, the Nevermore had begun to lose altitude. They were going to crash right onto the forest floor.

 _Stay focused. If you don't get free, you're going to die. You need to concentrate if you're going to survive the fall._

Kebiin could hear a small voice amidst the confusion and pain. Whatever it was was right, but the physical and mental cries of the Nevermore were deafening. All Kebiin would feel from it was fear and anger. But he needed to survive, no matter what.

Kebiin acted on instinct. Right now, it didn't matter what he did. If it meant he could break away from this awful creature and live, then he would do it. He directed any clear thought he had left into feeding off the power of the Nevermore. He would use it's own emotions against it. He remembered the anger he felt at Cardin the night before, the fear of seeing his mother's blade clash with the Inquisitor's, and the sorrow he felt seeing his father gunned down by stormtroopers. He raised his arm at the Nevermore, and in one sudden burst of power, blew off its leg.

The severed limb went limp, allowing Kebiin to climb his way out of it''s talons and separate their minds. He just barely used the Force to cushion his fall, but the Nevermore crashed into the forest with a loud *thump!*.

Now on solid ground, Kebiin scrambled up back onto his feet. His now missing cloak was the least of his worries. His head felt like it had been impaled, and his senses were on hyper-alert. He could feel the Force around him even more intensely than when he first tapped into it, but it was also cold and uninviting. He cuffed his hands over his ears, and fell onto his knees.

"This… this is the Dark Side?" He whimpered. "Revan, how do I stop it? It hurts, it hurts… make it stop, make it stop… I don't want this, it's so cold…"

His pleas for his mentor's guidance ringed hollow. Revan couldn't help him here. He stumbled around, feeling delirious and disoriented. The Nevermore's howling screams of pain could be heard in the distance. Kebiin had to keep moving.

His head and body ached. The horrid feeling of the Nevermore was still fresh in his mind. He was terrified, enraged, and in pain. He tried to call upon the meditation techniques Revan had taught him, and did his best to clear his mind.

" _Peace, serenity, the Force..."_

It wasn't working. He still felt the pain.

" _Peace, serenity, clarity of thought, the Force…"_

He shivered violently as another sickening sharp pain coursed through his head and down his spine.

" _Peace, serenity, clarity of thought, the Force, the Light…"_

None of his meditations were working. His brief connection to the Nevermore was too painful. He couldn't use the Force to concentrate. It was practically useless right now. He needed to find some way to get his mind back on track.

" _Find the relics, get away from the Nevermore, return to Beacon… find the relics… Beacon… new team… new clan… home."_

A new home. That's right… he needed to find these relics, and earn his place amongst the teams. He was going to make a new life for himself with Beacon as his home. He stopped in his tracks and sat against a tree, taking shaky breaths.

" _Clarity of thought, find the relics… peace, new clan... serenity, home..."_

His body relaxed ever so slightly and his head felt like it was slowly being cleared up. He still felt shaken, but he at least felt like he was back in reality.

He wandered through the forest for a few minutes before stumbling upon what looked like some sort of ancient man-made stone structure resembling a miniature coliseum. He could see three pedestals on the inside of the structure, each with a different chess piece placed on top of them. A Black Bishop, a White Rook, and a White Knight. The Bishop immediately stood out from the rest with it's darker coloration, while the others were a muted goldish color. He reached for the Bishop piece, convinced his exam would finally be over.

Just as he was about to grab it, the Nevermore that had attacked him came into view in the sky. It was flying dangerously low, but it didn't seem to care. Kebiin dove out of it's way just as it crashed into the stone structure, knocking the pieces into different directions. The Nevermore was howling louder than ever, still in pain and enraged from it's forced amputation just a few minutes ago. Stone bricks and columns flew everywhere, and Kebiin was knocked on to his stomach with his hand protecting the back of his head. From the sound of it, The Nevermore had broken a wing. Before standing up, Kebiin fumbled around the dusty wreckage with his hand before moving away from his spot. He felt a chess piece touch his hand, and immediately grabbed it without looking. He stood up, and darted away from the flailing beast.

Before he could get a good distance away, the Nevermore grabbed him in its beak and attempted to crush him with the sheer force of its bite. Kebiin Placed his arm and legs vertically in it's mouth, prying it open. He used his free hand to Force push against its lower jaw, breaking it. He slid off the lower beak as the Nevermore jerked its head back in pain. It continued to swing its own body in every direction, destroying everything in its path with its size and brute strength. Bricks and other construction materials from the relic site flew away along with any rocks or trees the Nevermore crashed in to, giving Kebiin an idea.

As smaller objects flew around, he gripped them with the Force and sent them flying back at the Nevermore at incredible speeds, acting as makeshift projectiles. He truly wanted this abomination to die. He loathed it for the agony it had caused him, and he simply wanted it to be obliterated.

The creature was constantly being bombarded by the very rubble it turned up, and the barrage of debris was taking its toll. The objects weren't just hitting the beast with blunt force, they were going through its body as if they were armor-piercing rounds. In just a few moments, the Nevermore was nothing but an evaporating corpse with hundreds of holes shot clean through it.

Kebiin panted. All his remaining energy had been spent on killing that wretched thing. The anger he had felt subsided, and he could finally focus well enough to see what he had done. The Nevermore's body was almost unrecognizable. He felt satisfied, but also… guilty. The anger he used to kill it had helped him greatly, but wasn't anger the path to the Darkside? was it really so terrible if it had saved his life and slain his enemy?

He looked down at the chess piece he had picked up. It was the White Knight. The vegetation and dirt around him started to blow away as he heard an airship hover just above him. Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch stood inside and ordered the pilot to lower. Ozpin stretched his arm out to Kebiin, and he gladly took it. He climbed inside the airship, sighing in relief.

Ozpin and Glynda returned to the top off the cliff where the exam had originally started, and all the team leaders were still there. Ruby was relieved to see Kebiin safe, even if he was banged up a little. He had dirt all over him, had several cuts and bruises, and his old blue cloak was missing. He stood in front of the small crowd with his chin up and a slight grin on his face. His eyes however, told a different story than just simple triumph. There was a mixture of worry, shame, pride, and anxiousness. Those amber eyes did seem to have a certain complexity to them.

Ozpin begun his mini-speech.

"Kebiin Ceibur, you have retrieved the White Knight piece belonging to team RWBY. Would the team leader please step forward?"

Ruby stepped up from the small crowd and stood in front of her new team mate, shaking his hand.

"Kebiin, as leader, I fully accept you into team RWBY!"

Upon hearing those words, Kebiin's smile brightened. Ozpin continued.

"As Headmaster of this academy, I formally welcome you to Beacon. We expect great things of you."

"I know sir! I won't let you down!"

Glynda handed him a new tablet with a small flashing light signifying a notification. He clicked it, and a list of all the different teams were on screen. He selected "Team RWBY". Four portraits of the team members appeared on screen with their family symbols hanging like a banner behind them. There was a small loading wheel, and a new portrait appeared right in between Blake and Yang. His own portrait loaded into view, with the dual wing and saber crest of the Jedi Order right behind his picture. RWBBY. Red, white, black, blue, yellow.

His little admittance ceremony ended, and the others dispersed. Ruby gestured to Kebiin to follow her.

"Hold up a moment. I need to get something off my chest" Kebiin said. Ruby looked a little confused until Kebiin started walking in the direction of Cardin, who he had assumed was behind his failed firearm. He was just about to confront him when Kebiin felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Ozpin once again.

"Congratulations, young man. I'm proud of you. I knew you were Beacon material."

"I think I can formally thank you finally then" Kebiin remarked. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I won't fail you!"

Ozpin smiled and sipped his coffee.

"You're very welcome, Kebiin. Now, I couldn't help but noticed your expression when you were about to approach Cardin over there. Is there something I should know about?"

Kebiin hesitated. Now that he thought about it, he had no idea of knowing if Cardin was actually responsible for his malfunctioning weapon. It was a reasonable assumption, but that was all it was. An assumption. He was just too quick to placing blame.

"No, sir. It's nothing important."

Ozpin looked skeptical.

"Is that so? he wouldn't happen to be the student you were having a complication with earlier would he?"

"N-no!" Kebiin instantly responded. He glanced down. He was telling more lies again…

"Well… actually, yes. He is. But we just got off on the wrong foot."

"If you believe you can handle it on your own, I won't stop you. Just remember I'm always here if you need me."

"Thanks again, sir." Kebiin noticed Ruby still standing, waiting for him to finish his conversation. "I umm… I should get going now."

Before Kebiin could turn, Ozpin reached into his coat pocket and pulled something out. It was his lightsaber. Kebiin had the look of surprise a child on Christmas would have, and Ozpin handed the metal object back to him. The moment it fell back into Kebiin's hands, he instantly felt more relaxed.

"W-where did you get this?"

"You seemed to have dropped it when you were snatched by the Nevermore. I suggest you keep it close. Such a weapon shouldn't be left unattended."

Kebiin looked back at Ozpin, even more surprised than before.

"You… did you…"

"Once you settle in, meet me at my office. I think there are some things we need to talk about."

Kebiin nodded and jogged back toward Ruby, who looked like she was getting a little impatient.

"What was the hold up about?" she asked as they headed to their dorm.

"Just final words of encouragement. Work hard, do your best, all that jazz."

"He does have a way with words... "

Ruby was a little nervous about how the others would react upon learning they had a new teammate. Especially Weiss. She still remembered what she said about them already being a complete team. Ruby hoped all would go well.

Alright, ladies! I know you've already met him, but I introduce you to: Kebiin Ceibur! latest edition to team RWBBY!"

Kebiin stood at the dorm room door way as Ruby announced his arrival to the team. Yang was definitely the more excited one, jumping up and down while Blake put up a small smile and looked back at Weiss. Weiss exhaled and smiled like the others.

"Well, we're glad to have you. Welcome to the team." She put out her hand to shake his.

"Thanks" Kebiin said, shaking her hand. "Well… I guess you're stuck with me!" he joked. He shifted his feet a little, feeling awkward. Weiss snorted and chuckled.

"No no, you're part of the team now. You may as well be family from here on out."

Kebiin and the rest of the team looked at her. _Wasn't she the one who was all apprehensive about him earlier?_ Ruby thought.

Kebiin was surprised. Just a few hours ago, she told him that they didn't need him. Now she was welcoming him with open arms. Even if she was just being polite, he was going to prove that he would be a strong edition to the team.

"Family…"

Upon hearing that word, Kebiin teared up and wiped his eyes. The others looked at him, slightly confused.

"You alright there?" Yang asked.

"Yeah… it's just… been a while since I've had a family." Kebiin sniffed. "Aliit ori'shya tal'din..."

Ruby raised her eyebrow when Kebiin that foreign phrase.

"Come again?"

"Huh? oh, it's just a simple phrase my old family would say sometimes. It means "family is more than bloodline." A lot of these proverbs seem to apply to my situation now."

"I like it! It's a nice phrase. How do you say it?"

"Aliit ori'shya tal'din."

"Aliit or… orsha… umm… tall deen?"

Kebiin laughed.

"We'll keep working on it."

"C'mon, we should turn in for the night. Even if we've got a day off tomorrow, we need our rest." Blake suggested.

"Yeah, you're right. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm exhausted."

They all got dressed into their pajamas, with Kebiin getting dressed in the bathroom to give the girls some privacy. There were only four beds which had been stacked on top of each other to make bunkbeds and a temporary sleeping bag for Kebiin. He crawled into his bag, and the others went into their own beds, falling asleep shortly after. Kebiin reached his hand into his pack without getting up, and felt around to grab the holodisc his mother had left for him, and tightened his grip around it.

"I found a new clan, mom. I won't be alone anymore…" he whispered. He fell asleep just moments later.


	8. Chapter 8

**Four years before Kebiin's acceptance into Beacon Academy**

Xaelos stood at the window of one of Coruscant's great Imperial skyscrapers, overlooking the vast city below. Imperial officers and stormtroopers walked back and forth through the building, carrying out whatever business the Empire required them to do. He heard the elevator behind him open, and sensed the presence of a human officer.

"Sir, Admiral Kayana has sent me to inform you that the Star Destroyer _Midnight Song_ has been equipped with a Trans-Galactic hyperdrive. We have gone through the old Jedi archives and discovered that there is a planet beyond our galaxy that the Jedi once knew of. The Admiral wishes to explore this world, she believes that this is where the child of former Inquisitor Azrilin has fled to. She has received permission from the Emperor to investigate."

Xaelos nodded without saying a word. The officer was confused on what to do with the lack of a response, but continued somewhat nervously.

"Umm… the Admiral has requested you accompany us along with Inquisitor Nyxona and Inquisitor Rowand. She feels that you would like the chance to confront this child, should we find him."

Xaelos finally turned his head to face the officer. The officer nearly took a small step backwards, but refrained from doing so.

"The _Midnight Song_ is currently in orbit. I can take you to a transport shuttle if you wish it."

Xaelos nodded once again, and the officer lead him back to the elevator and pressed the buttons necessary to get them to the hanger. The temperature almost seemed to drop as Xaelos lingered in the elevator, making the officer feel more uncomfortable. He had never personally met the infamous Darth Vader, but he imagined his presence would feel similar to this seemingly mute Kaleesh.

Roughly an hour later, Xaelos was onboard the bridge of the _Midnight Song._ Admiral Kayana was speaking to one of the other female officers, practically pinning her against the wall, and looked like she was about to go in for a kiss. Many of the other Admirals and Moffs often questioned how she had even become an Admiral in the first place with such a lax and flirtatious attitude, but she got the job done when the Empire called for it. Kayana noticed Xaelos standing on the bridge, and broke her attention off the young officer she had been flirting with, who was blushing intensely and jogged away in embarrassment.

The Admiral was an exceptionally attractive young woman in her mid-twenties with long brown hair and relaxing light blue eyes. Her fresh and eager personality was a stark contrast from the other stiff and serious Admirals who donned the Imperial gray uniform.

"Ah, Inquisitor! I'm so glad you could make it. I had the feeling you would want to join us on our little excursion to this new frontier. Shame you had to interrupt our little moment there, though."

Xaelos once again nodded in agreement, but whatever facial expression he would have had was concealed under his skull-like mask.

"The Emperor has finally given us permission to go on this voyage. He was rather brief, and admittedly a little intimidating, but he wants us to scout this "remnant of a world" as he put it and make it an extension of the Empire. He wishes it to be a failsafe should something happen in our own galaxy, ensuring that the Empire will continue to expand and prosper as it always does. And if at all possible, conquer it by ourselves if we have a significant technological advantage over any natives we find. We will be cut off from the rest of the Empire until we establish some sort of communication system to our home galaxy, but the _Midnight Song_ and her crew are more than capable of both effective conquest and self-defense."

Xaelos didn't respond, but he seemed to agree. Kayana looked somewhat annoyed with Xaelos's lack of verbal communication, but quickly remembered his reason as to why he was so silent these days. Kayana motioned her hand over her neck, trying to imagine what it was like to have one's throat be slashed by a lightsaber.

"We will depart within seventy two standard hours. In that time, we will be resupplied with extra forces that will bolster the _Midnight Song's_ invasion capabilities, should we require them. Extra troops, weapons, TIEs, walkers, everything we need to subjugate a technologically inferior civilization. Now if you'll excuse me, I have important business to attend to."

Kayana trotted in the direction the female officer ran toward earlier, humming the Imperial march anthem. Before getting very far, she stopped and cocked her head back at Xaelos.

"Oh, and your fellow Inquisitors are waiting for you in the briefing room. I'm sure you know the layout of a Star Destroyer well enough to get there without an escort?"

Xaelos nodded, and headed in the direction he needed to go. Kayana continued trotting down the hallway, and resumed her humming.

 **Present day**

Kebiin woke to the sound of a sharp whistle. Ruby stood above him holding said whistle, fully dressed along with the others. He quickly stood up, rubbing his eyes.

"Kebiin Ceibur, as the latest member of team RWBBY, you need your very own Operation: Banzai!"

"Operation what now?"

"She means that we need to get you your school supplies!" Yang said enthusiastically. "We've got a day off, so we decided to spend it on heading out into town and getting you everything you need for your stay here at Beacon. And you know what that means: Shopping!"

"But I don't actually have any money on me." Kebiin stated. "How am I supposed to-"

"Don't worry, Weiss will pay for everything." Ruby interrupted. "Won't you, Weiss?"

"What!? I never said-"

"It's decided then! C'mon, lets pick up the pace!"

Kebiin quickly got dressed into a white button-up collar shirt and jeans. He attached his lightsaber on to his belt like always, slung his pack over his shoulder, and headed out with the rest of his team. They walked down the streets checking several clothing and weapons stores. They had already ordered a new bed before leaving, so it should arrive by the time they would get back to their dorm.

"Hey, why don't we split up?" Ruby suggested. "Kebiin, you can go with Blake and Weiss to pick out some new clothes for your combat outfit while Yang and I go to the weapons shop to pick out parts so you can build a custom weapon for yourself. Sound good?"

"Shouldn't I ideally go with you and Yang?" Kebiin asked. "A weapon is a really personal thing. Shouldn't I be there to pick the parts?"

"You've got a point there, but the three of you could use some bonding time. Besides, I think I've got a few ideas of what'll suit you."

Kebiin, Weiss, and Blake all looked at eachother. "Bonding time?" what was that supposed to mean?

The three of them walked awkwardly throughout the various clothing stores without saying much, except for Weiss who occasionally complained about quality or price. Kebiin wished he was with Ruby and Yang. At least they were the ones that actually wanted him on the team. They continued their quiet walk through several stores when Blake stopped at run-down little shop and peered in at a couple boxes filled with clothes through the window. Workers were putting different articles of clothing and accessories into boxes and loading them into a truck. One of the employees of the shop who was carrying a box saw the three of them while loading his items into the truck.

"Something I can do for you?"

"I was wondering if I could possibly buy anything?" Blake asked.

"Sorry miss. Shop's been bought out by the Schnee Dust Company. They're gonna renovate this whole area."

Weiss stood up a little taller at the mention of her Father's company.

"Actually… I'm Weiss Schnee. Heiress to the Schnee Dust company. Are you sure we can't just take a peek at what's left inside the building?"

The employee looked skeptical and squinted his eyes a little while looking at Weiss. His eyes widened when he realized she was telling the truth.

"M-miss Schnee! Right, uh, you guys pretty much own the place now so I guess you can look at what's still in the building."

"Thank you. Now carry one."

"Yes ma'am!" the employee resumed his work but seemed like he was putting more effort into it.

"So Blake, might I ask what exactly caught your attention here? it's just an old rundown building that sells spare clothes." Weiss said in an underwhelmed tone.

Blake darted in behind the window and stuffed her hand in one of the boxes, pulling out a rough-looking blue scarf.

"Mind if we take this?" Blake asked the employee.

"If you're with Miss Schnee, I don't see why not."

The scarf was simple and knitted similar to how a grandmother would knit one. It was pretty standard except for that it had an extra hood attachment and flared out on one end, creating what looked like a shoulder cape when worn.

"A scarf? we saw dozens of those on the way here. Why did you feel the need to grab this one?" Weiss asked.

"It just caught my eye." Blake replied. "I like it."

"It looks custom" Kebiin noted. "A lot of attention went into it."

Weiss looked more closely at it, but didn't find anything exceptional about it. Blake walked over to Kebiin and started to put the scarf over his neck.

"Hey, I can do it myself y'know."

"Just hold still, will you?"

She carefully wrapped it around his neck and put up the hood, patting his shoulders. Blake stepped back and assessed how it looked.

"So Weiss, what do you think?"

"I think he looks like the cutest little Huntsman in training" Weiss replied snarkily.

"Very funny, Snowflake" Kebiin shot back.

"Excuse me? What did you call me?"

Blake snickered behind her. "That's a new one."

Kebiin looked down at the scarf and put his hand over it. "I like it…" he said softly.

"The nickname?" Blake asked while leaning slightly forward to hear him better.

"I mean the scarf. I really like it. It's nice. Vor entye, Blake. Thanks."

Blake gave him a light smile, which surprised Kebiin a little. She didn't seem like a very expressive person from what he had seen of her before. He sensed her relax ever so slightly.

"Think everything's going fine with those three?" Yang asked her sister.

Ruby was browsing a couple shelves and cabinets in the back of a weapons clerk for any parts she found satisfactory. After searching around for a bit she sighed in disappointment. She had only managed to get together a bag of what she considered to be scraps. The only things she thought had any real value were a pair of lighting and fire Dust crystals Yang bought out of impulse.

"Oh, yeah they should be doing alright. Kebiin just hasn't had a chance to really bond with Weiss and Blake yet, y'know? and I don't want our little ice queen to keep the whole "we don't need the new guy" mentality."

"Yeah, I get what you mean Rubes. Well, you're the team leader so it's you're call. It's just that Blake isn't exactly the most sociable of people. And we all know how charming our little ice queen can be."

"Well they gotta learn to work with each other either way. We're all a team, and the rest of us need to treat him like part of it."

Yang leaned against the wall and smiled while rubbing her sister's hair.

"That's real mature of you, Sis! I'm proud of you!"

Ruby laughed and tried to remove Yang's hand off her head, only to be pulled in and hugged.

"Hey, cut it out!" she said playfully. "I'm already really mature!"

Yang snickered and let her go.

"Riiiight. You're practically an adult now."

Ruby placed her hand on her hips and tilted her chin up, trying to look tall.

"See? that's the kind of confidence I'm looking for in the fearless leader of team RWBBY!" she said boldly.

"Also a very humble leader" Yang said sarcastically.

"Exactly! our humble and fearless leader: Ruby the Invincible!"

They walked out of the shop carrying what they had scrounged up and laughing at each others jokes when they spotted the rest of their teammates. Ruby tried to call out to them when she noticed they were… running. They weren't running from anything behind them, but she saw Weiss point to the roof of a building. There was the figure of what looked like a monkey Faunus running across, jumping from building to building. He was carrying a small box-like object but Ruby couldn't make out what it was.

Blake, Weiss, and Kebiin eventually caught up to Ruby and Yang, but Weiss was the only one to stop when she met up with her other teammates.

"What was that all about? and why is Kebiin wearing a scarf?" Yang said curiously.

Weiss stood in front of them, holding her hand up to tell them to wait while she tried to catch her breath.

"That…" Weiss took another deep breath. "That ruffian stole a-"

"Hey! give that radio back you damn animal!"

They saw an older man trail after Blake and Kebiin to chase the monkey Faunus that was atop the roovs.

"That guy stole a radio? why a radio of all things?"

"I… *huff* don't know. I just know that the manager was pissed when that rapscallion stole that thing. We were right there when it happened so we had to help."

"Well… it looks like they've got things covered." Yang said confidently. "C'mon ladies, we can catch up with them later."

Kebiin had no problem chasing after the thief on foot. He could easily use the Force to enhance his own physical capabilities. He didn't need to worry about Blake either since her own natural physical capabilities should be on-par with the radio thief. Kebiin turned to Blake and signaled "I'm heading to the roof". Blake understood what he meant.

"Right, I'll try to cut off any escape from the ground!"

Kebiin nodded and leaped high into the air, landing on the roof behind the radio thief. The thief noticed Kebiin behind him and looked like he laughed. This ticked Kebiin of a bit. He didn't know who this guy was or why he had to steal a radio of all things in broad daylight, but now he really wanted to catch him.

The thief took a sharp turn, now running across the roofs above an alleyway. The alley itself wasn't very well maintained, reminding Kebiin of his living conditions before joining up at Beacon. As the two of them kept running, Kebiin noticed bricks and other unused construction materials laying on top of the very roofs they ran across. His target was doing a great job of avoiding tripping over anything, but that could be easily changed.

Kebiin stuck his arm out and made a swiping motion, nudging a large brick just a tad over where the thief was expecting flat ground. His foot met the brick, and he fell down in surprise. Kebiin dashed to the radio that was now out of the thief's hands, and quickly grabbed it.

"All that for a radio!?" Kebiin exclaimed.

The Faunus stood up, and Kebiin finally got a good look at him. He was around the same age as the others at Beacon, with blond hair, tanned skin, and his white shirt was buttoned open to reveal a full set of abs. His forearms were protected by red gauntlets, and his long flexible tail swayed side to side.

"Heh. I guess you caught me!" the thief said casually. Was this guy taking any of this seriously?

"Look, you should go down to the manager of that radio store you robbed and apol -"

Kebiin was cut off when the thief pulled out a pair of nunchucks which connected into a staff, using it to fling the radio out of his hands.

"Hey! give that-"

"If you want it back, you gotta get it!"

Kebiin clenched his fists but had to quickly duck when the thief swung the collapsable staff at his head. Kebiin darted in. He had handled plenty of staff-users before, all he had to do was juggle a radio while he was at it. Easy peasy.

Kebiin slid in and closed the gap between him and the thief, preventing him from swinging effectively. He grabbed the thief's arm and kicked the radio into the air and caught it as it fell. The thief backflipped away to gain the distance he needed, and started to repeatedly jab and Kebiin, trying to lodge the radio out of his hands. Realizing the radio was only adding unnecessary weight, Kebiin tossed it high into the air and deflected the staff jabs away with an outward crescent kick, following it up with a flying sidekick all in one jump. The thief quickly brought his staff up to block the kick, so Kebiin had to launch himself off of the staff. The radio started to fall back down. Kebiin tried to catch it but failed to when the thief flinged it back up and away from Kebiin with his staff, doing a back handspring and catching it once he ended up back on his feet.

"What's wrong? can't keep up?" the thief smirked.

Kebiin couldn't help but smile just a bit. Even if he was obnoxious, this guy was good.

Kebiin ran towards the thief and tried to do a jumping spinning hook kick, but the thief leaped forward and held his staff vertically, causing Kebiin to kick the top end of the staff instead of his opponent. The thief let the staff spin with the force of Kebiin's kick, and the bottom end flung up and smacked Kebiin right in the face. The sudden force of getting struck in the right between the eyes momentarily stunned Kebiin, allowing the thief to sweep him off his feet with the staff.

"Oh, c'mon, I'm sure you can do better than that!" the thief said as a swayed his tail side to side.

Kebiin stood back up. He was getting annoyed with this punk, but he did have respect for his fighting style. after all, it was certainly working. Kebiin once again ran at his opponent, and threw another jumping spinning hook kick as a distraction. The thief brought his staff up again to meet his foot, but Kebiin used the force to elevate his body over it, and grabbed the staff at the midsection once he landed on his feet. Before the thief could react, Kebiin strengthened his forearm with the Force and hit the staff, breaking it in two, then leaped backward. They each held one half of the staff.

The thief looked genuinely stunned, then impressed.

"Nice one!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I thought this thing was locked together tight but it looks like you proved me wrong!"

Kebiin grinned.

"You're not so bad yourself! you've got some pretty decent moves there."

"Thanks. I try my best."

The thief set the radio down to the side and entered a typical sword fighting stance with the half he held. Kebiin twirled his half in his hand and entered a standard Shii-Cho fighting stance, readying his "sword".

The two of them charged at the same time, meeting their staffs and clashing several times. The thief lept into the air and brought his half of the staff down to strike down at Kebiin as he spun in the air, but Kebiin stepped to the side and grabbed his opponent's free arm mid-spin, then brought his own end of the staff down upon him. The thief collapsed his staff into a pair of nunchucks, and let Kebiin strike down on the chain, wrapping it around, and kicked Kebiin in the gut to disarm him. The thief skidded back and collapsed the other end of the staff he now held into another pair of nunchucks, and entered another fighting stance.

"Guess I win" the thief said somewhat mockingly.

"Not by a longshot!" Kebiin ran toward his opponent once more but was surprised when the thief kicked up the radio, sending it flying at Kebiin. He caught it just in time to see him running away across the roof tops.

"Seeya later!"

"Hey, get back here! I'm not finished with you!"

Kebiin was about to go chase after him when he felt a hand on his shoulder stop him. It was Blake.

"C'mon. Let him go. It's not like you'll accomplish anything by chasing him even more."

"But-"

"No buts! We got the radio already and I'd rather not make it a bigger deal out of this than it already is."

Kebiin sighed. While he did agree, he felt the need to keep fighting. He couldn't remember the last time he wanted to continuously fight like this. He figured it was just his inner Mandalorian trying to do what it does best.

They met back up with the rest of their team and the old shop owner. He didn't look exactly friendly, but Kebiin hoped his mood would lighten once he handed him the stolen radio back.

"Sorry that took a while, sir. Here you go."

Kebiin tried to hand him his stolen property back, but the shop owner simply scoffed and didn't put his arm out to take it back.

"Bah! go ahead and keep the damn thing. I don't want it now that filthy Faunus trash got his hands all over it."

Kebiin was shocked to hear this, but Blake was just barely containing her fury. She clenched her fist, her body tightened up, and she was just about ready to punch this guy in the jaw. Her eyes reflected absolute loathing.

"Filthy Faunus trash!? Why you ignorant, bigoted-"

"Thanks for the radio! we appreciate it" Ruby interrupted. "C'mon team, lets go."

Kebiin had to tug on Blake's arm to get her to move. She looked at him, practically pleading to keep arguing.

"Blake, lets go. It's no use trying to talk sense into hateful people like him."

"But-"

"No buts." Kebiin glanced at Blake's bow for a brief moment and sighed. "Another time."

Blake noticed Kebiin's gaze at her hidden cat ears and her eyes widened then narrowed slightly in suspicion. She had only known him for a few days. There was no way he could possible know, right?

Blake sighed and reluctantly agreed. If she made a big deal out of it now, it might blow her cover or give hints at her identity. That was the last thing she wanted.

" _Faunus protesters continue their march as the White Fang-"_

Kebiin changed the channel causing momentary static on the radio.

" _Vale celebrates as it prepares to host this year's Vytal Festival. Spirits reign high as-"_

" _Political tension grows as Atlas's latest political reform lead many to believe that they are unwilling to share their newest military tech-"_

"There's nothing good on…" Ruby complained. Kebiin had been fiddling around with the radio for about twenty minutes now, and nothing had caught their attention for more than ten seconds.

"Hey, could you go back a little to the one about Atlas?"

"Why do you want to hear about Atlas's politics? it's not like it's they underwent a revolution or anything." Yang said.

"Because _I_ like to hear what goes on in the world" Weiss said proudly. "It's important to keep up with current events. Besides, Atlas has been even more sketchy and militaristic than usual lately."

Kebiin changed the channel back and tried to catch up with the broadcast.

" _We are here today with General Ironwood. Mr. Ironwood, what do you have to say about your critics regarding Atlas's latest technological advancements and unwillingness to share it with your fellow kingdoms?"_

" _These critics seem to misunderstand what we are doing here, Ms. Lavender."_

The general sounded like a slightly older man, but he spoke with the confidence of a true leader. It was deep, mature, and experienced, but somehow… naive? no, that wasn't it...

" _Atlas always has been more militaristic when compared to the other kingdoms, but it is everyone's goal to advance technology. Our latest upgraded fleet and weaponry is largely untested when it comes to actual combat, and we want to make sure it is safe and effective before we can distribute it amongst our fellow nations in our valiant effort against the Grimm."_

" _That may be true, but what of your leadership? due to your latest reform, more military leaders -and fewer people in general- now hold more power in government than four years ago. Some say it is unwise to let so few people run a whole nation."_

" _People are entitled to believe whatever they wish, but the reality is that these new people chosen to further lead Atlas would not have gotten the job if they weren't up to the task. Our current leaders are more than competent and talented enough to guide us to further peace and prosperity."_

"Well I think that's enough politics for the day." Kebiin shut the radio off. "We're in a Huntsman academy, not a courthouse."

"Well that was really all I wanted to hear anyways" Weiss said as she folded her arms.

Kebiin jumped onto his new bed, which was pushed up against the wall. The already present bunkbeds had been pushed closer together to make room for the new one, but the room remained largely the same besides that. Blake was still upset from her encounter with the radio owner, but she still remained quiet as usual.

"Hey, Ruby, do you still have those weapons parts you went to get?"

Ruby reached under her bunk and pulled out a bag of the parts she gathered.

"Yeah, but nothing fancy." she said as she tossed Kebiin the bag.

He looked at the pieces and examined the two Dust crystals that came with them. There were a ton of various metal pieces, firearm cartridges, and a couple blades. Ruby was right. He wouldn't be making anything fancy, but his encounter with the radio thief gave him a few ideas.

"Actually, this'll work perfectly."

"Really? it's pretty much a pile of junk though."

"I don't need anything complex, just effective. And I think I know what to build…"

He picked up the bag, jumped off his bed, put on his scarf, and walked to the door.

"I'm gonna head to the workshop to build this thing. Be back in a bit."

"Have fun!" Ruby waved as he left the room.

Instead of heading to the workshop like he claimed, Kebiin headed toward the woods behind the academy. It was close enough to civilization that he wouldn't encounter any Grimm, but far enough from the prying eyes of the other students. He had peeked in on his mother taking apart and putting her lightsaber back together with the Force when he was kid, and he had wanted to give it a shot. Constructing his own custom weapon would be the perfect opportunity.

Once he had gotten out of visual range of Beacon, he sat down with his legs crossed and pulled out Revan's holocron. The familiar holographic image of Revan appeared and looked at his current surroundings.

"The woods? I thought you would've gotten accepted into the academy already."

"I did. I've gotten on a team and everything."

"Glad to hear it. Any other events I need to know about?"

Kebiin bit his lip slightly. He wanted to tell Revan about his encounter with the Grimm and the Nevermore, but decided he wanted to simply focus on constructing his weapon for now.

"Revan, could you give me the basic rundown on how you would build a lightsaber?"

Revan unfolded his arms and shifted his weight.

"A lightsaber? you can't construct your own until you've completed the necessary training. Plus, you already have one."

"I know, but I just wanted to know how the Jedi used the Force to put all the pieces together. I'm not actually building a lightsaber, but I think this will give me some experience for when I eventually do."

"I see" Revan said, crossing his arms again. "So what exactly are you making then?"

"A weapon that is native to Remnant. If I pulled out a lightsaber every time trouble showed up, it'd attract too much attention."

"And why do you think lightsaber construction techniques will work on it?"

"It would follow a similar cylindrical shape and involves some crystals. I've got all the parts I need, I just want to try putting together like the Jedi would."

Revan thought for a moment.

"Very well." Revan's holographic image was replaced by the holographic image of a lightsaber. It floated in the air as the pieces slowly came apart and drifted away from each other.

"Often, a Jedi uses the Force to construct his lightsaber. While many do build it by hand, the Force must be use at some point or another during the construction. Close your eyes and meditate. The pieces shall fall into place eventually. Begin with the crystals, and let the Force guide you from there."

Kebiin pictured how it would look and feel, and allowed his mind to float freely. For several long minutes, the only things he heard were the small clicks and kinks of metal putting themselves together.

It took several tries, but after what seemed like forever, he was finally done. Kebiin opened his eyes, and the now completed and stable weapon dropped into his hands. Currently, it was just a two foot long metal rod. He was just about to unfold it to view his handiwork when he felt his foldable tablet vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out. It was a message from Ruby.

" _Hey, how's the weapon coming along? It's gonna be lights out soon so you should come back real quick."_

Kebiin noticed the time. 10:46 PM. He decided to message her back.

" _Alrighty, be right there. See you in a bit."_ His meeting with Ozpin would have to wait till tomorrow.

"Will that be all?" Revan asked.

"Actually, no. You were right."

"About the Grimm?"

Kebiin nodded. "Yes. There's no doubt about it. The Grimm are of the Darkside. But it felt so… alien.

"So it had changed just like the Light did with aura. Do they lack a binding field as well?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. When I meditated before I encountered the Grimm, I felt it. It wasn't exceptionally powerful, but it was there. The Force is on this world. I hadn't felt it like this until now."

Revan's readjusted posture indicated surprise. As far as he knew, Kebiin was the only being on Remnant who could use the Force. Even then, it was often limited to his own body except for short bursts of power.

"Well… that certainly is a surprise. How do you feel?"

"Same… but different. I can feel the Force flow much better than before."

"Hmm… I need time to reflect on this. If something comes up, let me know." Revan's image faded back into the holocron.

Yang was already fast asleep, scratching at her exposed belly. Blake was curled up under her sheets, reading a book. Ruby and Weiss were just about to head off to bed when Kebiin walked in, still fully clothed.

"So how'd it go? where is it? Oooohh lemme see, lemme see!"

Ruby was jumping up and down in excitement, anxious to see what Kebiin had constructed.

"Sorry chief, probably not right now. I don't want to end up slicing any beds or lamps tonight."

"Aww, you're no fun…" Ruby said, making a pout face.

"It looks like the other batton you've got" Weiss noted. "Was that intentional?"

"Yeah, kinda. It just ended up that way. Besides, it'd be easy to carry like this."

Kebiin dressed down, placed his lightsaber and new weapon on his nightstand, and closed his eyes. Tomorrow would be his first real day as a student at Beacon Academy.

Kebiin was standing inside what looked like some sort of regal traditional temple. People in robes were darting back and forth as though they were trying to evacuate. The sounds of blaster fire could be heard beyond the door of the room. Many of these robed people were escorting small children and preteens. An older man stood guard at the door, holding his hands outward without even touching it, almost as though he were barricading it. Kebiin noticed a lightsaber on his belt. He looked around, and every one of these robes people were either holding lightsabers or had them on their belts.

"What's wrong? What's happening? Are all of you Jedi?"

Kebiin's question didn't receive a response. They didn't even notice him. A young woman ran up to the man holding up the door. Something was violently trying to kick it down.

"Master, go! I can handle them!" She yelled.

"Azrilin, no! you need to take the other padawans and leave the temple now!"

Azrilin? No, it couldn't be…

The young woman drew and ignited her lightsaber. The blade was glowing a pale yellow, and the hilt was identical to the one Kebiin wore on his own belt.

"Master, please. This is what Jedi are supposed to do!"

"Padawan, this isn't the time to-"

Their argument was broken by a blue lightsaber blade being stabbed through the door, cutting it down. The door toppled, and a dark cloaked figure stood there, lightsaber drawn. Behind him, men wearing what resembled stormtrooper armor readied their weapons, pointing them at the group of young Jedi in the room.

The older master ignited his lightsaber and charged at the cloaked figure, but quickly dropped his weapon and grabbed at his throat, gasping. Kebiin stood in horror as he watched the dark figure raise his arm and twisted his wrist. The old Jedi's neck snapped, and his limp body slumped to the ground. The dark figure turned to Azrilin, noticing the color of her lightsaber.

"This one is a sentinel, exactly what we need. Kill the rest, but bring her alive."

Kebiin tried to scream to leave her alone, but no one, not even himself, could hear it. He was mute.

"I-I'll die before you harm any more of my fellow-" she was cut short when her own lightsaber was ripped from her grip through the Force, and felt like invisible hands were clamping down on her throat. she levitated into the air, and her eyes started to roll into the back of her head. Kebiin ran towards the man who was Force choking his mother, doing anything he could to inflict pain. His lightsaber wouldn't activate, the Force wouldn't obey his command, and any punches he threw phased right through the cloaked man. He could only stand by helplessly as he and his mother saw the group of young Jedi being mercilessly gunned down by the clone troopers. Azrilin finally passed out, and the dark figure released his grip. The troopers rushed in to slap restraints on her, and quickly carried her out of the room.

Kebiin fell to his knees and realized what he just bore witness to. This was the Empire's great Jedi purge. Order 66. There was nothing he could do to save the padawans or his mom, and that hurt even more. They may just be visions, but it all felt so real. He looked back at the cloaked figure, realising that this must have been the young Darth Vader.

Before stepping out the collapsed door to follow the clone troopers, the Sith Lord turned back one last time. He re-ignited his lightsaber, and slashed right across Kebiin's neck.

Kebiin woke up drenched in sweat. His neck burned and his body cramped. He was breathing heavily and it was still dark out. He felt someone shaking him to try and wake him up, but all the other girls were sound asleep.

"Oh god, are you alright?" It was Blake's voice.

Kebiin blinked several times and turned to see her yellow eyes and long dark hair.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm ok. Just a nightmare. How long have you been trying to get me up?"

"Just a second or two. I was just about to yell for the others to wake up but then you opened your eyes. You sure you're ok?"

Kebiin hesitated before answering. Truth was, he was still terrified. This had been the second time he had been helpless to save his mom. Why was he shown this vision? Was the Force just hellbent on tormenting him?

"Hey, Blake, can you hand me that right there?" Kebiin pointed to the lightsaber on his nightstand.

Blake looked a little confused and tilted her head the way a puzzled cat would, but she obliged and did so. Kebiin ran his fingers across the hilt and hugged it close for comfort.

"Are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me? I was getting really worried. You're part of the team now. We need to know if something's wrong."

"We're supposed to share everything, huh?" Kebiin said softly.

"Come again?"

"Nothing important. I think I just need some fresh air."

"The school grounds are pretty empty this time of night. Wanna go for a walk?" Blake suggested.

"Aren't we not allowed to wander around after dark?"

"Technically yes, but it's not like anyone's gonna notice two students if we're quiet enough. Besides, I've done it plenty of times before."

The two of them walked along the stone pavement just outside the academy gate, still in their pajamas. Kebiin was still a little shaken from what he had experienced in his vision, trying to make sense of what it could have meant. Although, the presence of the Force felt sharper somehow.

"Feeling any better?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, just a little" Kebiin said. He stopped and looked at the large stone sculpture just in front of the gates. Two humanoid figures standing atop a shallow cave, with a Grimm underneath them. "Hey, Blake. Can I ask you something?"

Blake looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

"Have you ever lost someone important to you?"

Blake paused for a moment, a little suspicious.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well… I know this will make me sound like a whiney little kid, but… I was dreaming about my mom."

"Your mom? you never mentioned…" Blake quickly put the dots together. "I'm sorry… you didn't say anything before…"

"How do you deal with it? how do you come to terms with something like that?"

Blake rubbed the back of her neck. They were both looking at the statue now.

"Honestly, I don't deal with it."

Kebiin looked back over at her. "What do you mean?"

"Do you really want to hear it?" Even if Blake was a little suspicious of him, it couldn't hurt to tell at least someone a little bit… if only to get if off her chest.

"If you're fine with sharing it, then yeah. I'd love to."

"Well… a while back, I was part of a group. We believed in equality, and fought against those who wanted to subjugate others. And I had a partner. He was… more than a partner really. To this day, I honestly don't know how I feel about him."

She paused and noticed Kebiin was sitting on the grass with a curious look in his eye. Blake decided to take a seat next to him.

"Did something happen between you two?" Kebiin asked. The expression on his face seemed different than it usually did. He looked younger almost. He genuinely wanted to hear what she had to say.

"I suppose you could say that" Blake continued. "Over time, our group changed. We started to become violent and relied on intimidation more than the idea of peace. We hurt a lot of people. I didn't think it was right, but this group was my whole life. I didn't know what else to do. But my partner… he believed in all of our "new methods". He didn't want to stand for justice and hope, he wanted to force people to believe in our ideology. He didn't care how many got hurt. So one day, I decided enough was enough. I left him right out of the blue, barely saying goodbye. I never told anyone I was leaving, I just left and never looked back."

Blake let out a long and relieved sigh. She felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She expected to be more paranoid about this, but even if she didn't tell him the complete truth, it still made her feel more at ease.

"Well that's my story. What do you think?" Blake looked back toward Kebiin. He looked satisfied, but there was the hint of something else. Enjoyment?

"Don't take this the wrong way, but… I liked it."

Blake stood up, surprised.

"You "liked it"? how was that in anyway-"

"No, that's not what I meant!" Kebiin interrupted. "I mean that it reminds of home."

Blake tilted her head to the side.

"Reminds you of home?"

"Just… stories under the night sky. My family always used to share our experiences like this. Even if it was sad or angry, I always loved those moments of storytelling. We grew closer because of it. And I can relate to losing something important."

"So you just like stories?"

"Well, yeah" he responded. "But sitting here, sharing our experiences, happy or sad, it's nostalgic and comforting in a way."

"You should talk to Ruby about that sometime." Blake sat back down. "What kind of a family did you have, anyway?"

Kebiin grinned. "Clan would probably be a better term. The only people I was actually related to by blood were my mom and dad. We had dozens of people with us, but like we always said, "family is more than bloodline.""

"Aliit ori'shya tal'din" Blake whispered.

"You remembered." Kebiin smiled.

"I thought it was a good saying so I made sure I would." Blake responded. "So what was your clan like?"

Kebiin tilted his head to look up at the night sky. "We had a pretty good thing going on, despite being outside civilization for the most part. We needed to be good fighters, so we trained rigorously as soon as we were old enough to, prizing honor above all else. And we were always weary of outsiders."

"Sounds rough." Blake said.

"It wasn't anything I couldn't handle" Kebiin said proudly. "Anyways, my mom actually wasn't from the original clan. She was an outsider, and she wanted to get away from her old life. She did some things she wasn't proud of. She said it took a while, but she was accepted into the family. That's where she met my dad, and now here I am. They would tell me stories of battle, sorrow, hardship, and honor. I remember always wanting to be like them. Strong, brave, and noble. To fight for the thrill of battle, revel in the honor of victory and telling tales of success, that was the life I wanted. It was the life that was expected of me."

Kebiin was smiling, but his expression quickly turned into a frown. His eyes watered up, and the air around them seemed to fall still.

"But… one day, we were attacked. I saw my whole family slaughtered, crushed under the sheer force and numbers of our enemies. My entire culture was taken from me in a single moment. My mom sacrificed herself so I could escape."

Kebiin looked back over to his teammate. She looked shocked to say the least. She figured he was at least an orphan before, but she never thought it would be anything on that sort of scale. The wind picked up as several tears streamed from Kebiin's eyes.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't sound so dramatic. It's just that… well, we prided ourselves on being the best of the best. And there I was, unable to protect my own mom."

Blake tried to interject. "Kebiin, it wasn't-"

"Wasn't my fault?" He interrupted. "I was trained my whole life to fight, and that if I couldn't fight, I was weak. I accepted that I was just a kid, but it's still so painful to remember. I told myself I would become stronger, and I have, but those memories still terrify me."

He stood back up, wiping the tears from his face. The wind grew more and more violent.

"Sorry I went on like that. It's just nice to have someone to talk to who can relate, y'know?"

The wind kept going strong. Blake could barely hear him over the howling noises around them. Her hair and nightgown were flying in the wind, and she had to put her hand up to keep her bow on. There was a practical storm going on, but Kebiin looked strangely calm even though it looked like his scarf was about to blow away. He re-opened his eyes, and look around as if he just noticed the weather. The moment he did, the wind slowly died down.

"Kebiin, you don't have to keep apologizing. The things that happened, happened. Right now, you're here with us. We're all here for different reasons, and both of us came here to make new lives and make things better. I don't think I'm the one who can help you with your past, but I can tell you to move forward."

"Right… well, thanks Blake. I guess you're right." Kebiin paused and looked back to the academy. "Ready to head back inside? We need our rest for classes tomorrow."

Blake nodded in agreement and stood up slowly. "Oh, and… I appreciated the talk. I really do."

Kebiin smiled weakly once again. "Vor entye, Blake. Vor entye."

The pair of them arrived back at their dorm room, only to find the rest of their team scrambling about trying to pick up shards of broken glass.

"What happened here?" Blake asked as she rushed to help the others.

"There you two are!" Yang said loudly. "I knew Ruby said you guys needed your "bonding time", but I honestly didn't expect you two to sneak off together in the middle of the night just yet."

Blake froze at Yang's implication, and Kebiin was blushing violently.

"What!? No, it wasn't like that! It was just-" He was interrupted by Weiss.

"Can you two dolts just pipe down and help clean up already?"

"Right, right…" Kebiin knelt down and began putting shards into the trash, making sure not to cut himself. "What happened here anyways?"

"Did you not hear the wind out there?" Weiss moaned in a condescending tone.

"The wind knocked out our window. There wasn't even supposed to be any windstorms forecasted for the rest of the season" Ruby said. "And now we need a new window too… why do we keep having to buy all this stuff!?"

"I think you mean why do I have to keep buying us stuff" Weiss said plainly.

"Same difference." Ruby pouted.

The group finished their clean-up, shut the blinds, and did their best to keep out the cold as the night went on.


	9. Chapter 9

AU:

Hey guys, sorry for the longer wait than usual. Thanks for giving this story a read. It means a ton to me. Anyhoo, since school is back in full-swing, I don't have as much time to work on _RWBBY: Remnants of a Heritage_ as I would like. So basically, I won't be updating as often as I did during the summer. However, I do plan to see this story through to the end and give it my all. This is the first full story I've written, and I'm open to all critique, advice, and ideas you have to offer.

Again, thanks a ton, and May the Force be with you.

Lots of appreciation,

-SubtleSaber

When Kebiin woke up, the others were still sound asleep. He lazily turned to view his clock to check the time. 7:45 AM. Classes start at 9:00 if he remembered correctly.

"Sweet" he grunted as he sat up, stretching his arms. "Plenty of time."

Kebiin showered speedily and got dressed in his new uniform as quietly as he could to avoid waking up his teammates. He was trying to figure out how to put on his tie when he paused and smiled for a moment. He realised something. This would be his regular routine now. His days of sleeping on cardboard and next to garbage bins were truly over. He tossed his tie onto his bed and instead wrapped his blue scarf around his neck.

Ruby was rustling under her sheets and sat up, rubbing her eyes and letting out a loud yawn.

"Mornin' boss. Rise and shine." Kebiin said playfully.

Ruby looked around, her silvery eyes just barely open. She turned the digital clock to face her direction, and her eyes widened slowly when she noticed the time. 7:54.

"So, what classes do we have to-"

"Everyone wake up! We only have six more minutes!"

The others jolted up and practically rolled out of their beds, rushing to either slap on some presentable clothes or head to the bathroom to wash up.

"Only six minutes? I thought we started at 9:00?"

Weiss walked out of the bathroom, her face was newly washed and her was tied back up, but she was still clearly drowsy. "We have early start today! classes start an hour earlier than normal."

"Well no one told- Mmfff!"

"Give a second." Weiss said as she reached for Kebiin's tie. She lifted the front of his scarf to reveal his neck, stuffing the cloth into his face as she started tying the tie for him.

 _"Wmmff uunnfff mmfff!"_

"Hold still you dunce! Ahh, there we go. Now you're presentable." She said as she lifted her hand off his scarf, releasing it off his mouth and nose. "So what were you trying to say?"

Kebiin panted before responding. "I was _trying_ to say I couldn't breathe." He took another deep breath. "Well, thanks Snowflake" he said in a hoarse voice while trying to loosen his tie and re-adjust his scarf.

"Hmph. I hope that name isn't here to stay… And you're welcome." Weiss pouted.

"And _THAT_ class, is how I bravely defeated a horde of Death Stalkers with nothing but a broken broom and a cement-filled boot! Now, does anyone have any questions?"

Kebiin was just as bored by Professor Port's lecture as he and the rest of the class looked. Ruby was doing her best to keep her eyes open, while Weiss was taking notes diligently. Blake was definitely awake, but wasn't listening to the lecture in any sense of the word. Yang was simply rolling her eyes whenever the Professor tried to address the class by cracking a joke.

"I can see that you are all quite speechless. Now, I presume you all finished last week's assignment?"

Only a few people raised their hands. JNPR was the only full team who completed it.

"Ah yes, lovely! Good work team JNPR! I figured you would do well considering your defeat of that large Death Stalker during your initiation. Now, would two of you care to demonstrate what you learned in your assignment?"

Pyrrha raised her hand. "I will sir."

"Thank you Miss Nikos! Mr. Arc, would you care to join Miss Nikos for today's demonstration?"

"M-me?" Jaune stuttered. "But surely I-"

"Your prey will arrive any moment now. I suggest you two equip your gear."

"R-right sir." They stood up and walked down to the center of the room to prepare for whatever the handlers would bring in.

Kebiin turned to Weiss. "What was the assignment last week? I wasn't here for it."

"Grimm anatomy. Specifically insectoids."

Kebiin felt the presence of the Grimm before the handlers wheeled it into the room, still caged. And it sensed him too. It was a juvenile Death Stalker, roughly twice the length of a person. The moment it was brought into the room, it began to spasm and flail uncontrollably in its steel cage, doing everything within it's power to break free. The cage dented in several places, and the class tensed up, ready to bolt to the back or out of the room if need be. The feralness of the creature didn't seem to phase the Professor, who just carried on with his joyful tone.

"Now, let's see what you remember about the strengths and weaknesses of these giant evil scorpions."

Jaune and Pyrrha took their stances, and the Death Stalker was released from its cage. It bolted out, looking delirious and snapping its claws in every direction. Kebiin could sense the fear and anger radiating from its conscience. It turned its body around, trying to get a read on its surroundings. Death Stalkers and other non-mammalian Grimm typically had poor eyesight, but often made more than enough up for it with other senses that could be more reliable than the human eye. Kebiin felt it trying to detect his position, attempting to find the source of the strange energy it felt in the room. Its concentration was broken when Pyrrha and Jaune charged, both of them with their shields raised and their weapons ready to strike.

Kebiin remembered a technique Revan once taught him but never really came into use during his time on Remnant. He said that it was possible for some Jedi to momentarily mask their presence from other Force sensitives, acting as a sort of camouflage. Revan taught similar abilities to people who would become Sith assassins during his reign as the Dark Lord. Kebiin focused his energy inward, and did his best to distance his mind from the Death Stalker.

The Death Stalker stopped moving, surprised that the power emitting from the crowd had suddenly weakened. Pyrrha took the lead in the attack, bashing her shield into its eyes and flipping forward to land on its lower back, angling herself just enough to avoid the stinger. It tried to reach up and grab her, but Jaune bashed one of its claws away and stabbed at its face while Pyrrha drove her spear in between the backward-facing plates in its exoskeleton. If you couldn't get to the soft underbelly, the small gaps in the armor were your next best bet.

Kebiin felt the sudden burst of anger from the Death Stalker, effectively breaking his concentration on trying to make himself undetectable. He felt the powerful and repulsive emotions come from the Death Stalker, making it impossible to focus on anything else through The Force.

The Death Stalker grabbed Jaune's sword as he thrusted forward and angled it downward, causing the sword to slice off several mandibles. It wailed in pain, knocking Jaune across the room and smacking Pyrrha with the side of its tail, causing her to fly right into her teammate. It began to bash itself against the walls of the room, grasping at its mutilated mouth.

Kebiin's body temperature felt like it was being manually lowered as the Death Stalker continued on its pain-driven rampage. The Death Stalker was becoming more aggressive and active while he slowly felt like he was being drained. He could feel the ever growing taint of the Darkside around him. It was feeding off of him.

"Jaune, your shield!" Pyrrha shouted.

"Got it!" He responded.

Pyrrha threw her shield at the Death Stalker as it approached them, lodging itself between the claws on its right arm. Jaune stepped back behind Pyrrha, and held his shield up with both his arms. Pyrrha jumped onto the shield, and Jaune pushed forward, launching her back at the Death Stalker with her spear pointed towards it. Kebiin detected the slightest hint of a Semblance activate as Pyrrha launched herself.

Kebiin felt the draining sensation worsen as the Death Stalker's tail was impaled vertically by Pyrrha's spear, running down a good portion of the length of its tail. In a blind rage, it lashed out at Pyrrha with the spear that was still in its tail, using it as a club. She brought her hands up, and the swing missed just above her head, only to be knocked back across the room when it swung its free arm at her.

" _Just kill it already"_ Kebiin thought. The sensation of even being near around an enraged Grimm reminded far too much of the Nevermore he defeated. _"Put it out of its misery so I can stop hearing its thoughts."_

Kebiin felt a nudge on his sleeve. "You look a little pale. Something wrong?" Ruby asked him.

Kebiin broke his gaze off of the Death Stalker and looked at his teammate. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just… bugs are pretty creepy, don't you think?"

"I guess. But the big ones don't really scare me that much. They're a lot easier to see which means you can hit them more easily. Better to concentrate on one big bug than run away from a ton of little crawly ones if you ask me."

Concentrating on one big bug...

The Death Stalker advanced toward Jaune, who was only holding onto his shield. His sword was still stuck in the ground, and the Grimm was between him and it. Jaune raised his shield up to defend himself, and the Death Stalker bashed it with the other shield stuck between its claws. The force of the blow caused Jaune to fall to his knees, but he kept his shield up as the Death Stalker continuously bashed it over and over.

Kebiin took a deep breath, and completely gave up on trying to hide or distance himself from the Death Stalker. This time, he knew what to avoid in the mind of a Grimm. If it could feed off of his energy, then it stood to reason he could do the same to it. He reached his fingers outward just slightly, and focused on whatever power the Death Stalker had. Maybe if he could weaken the Death Stalker by draining it, then perhaps it would give Jaune the time he needed to get back on his feet.

To the class's surprise, the Death Stalker stopped moving for a split second. It began to shake violently, and cried an awful and pained roar. It flailed backwards, snapping at the air in front of it, and what remained of its mandibles foamed up.

Kebiin was making progress, but it was resisting him. He reached out through the Force even further, probing its mind for weaknesses or anything he could exploit. It didn't matter how agonizing this experience would be for the Death Stalker. The moment Kebiin made contact, he wanted to prove he could overpower it. It was far younger than the Nevermore he had slain in the forest, and much less strong-willed. It wouldn't be able to retaliate.

In one final act of pained rage, the Death Stalker reached with it's functioning claw, ripped off the arm that had Pyrrha's shield stuck inside, and flung it into the audience. Kebiin's concentration was broken when he felt Ruby's arm grab him, and pull him to the ground. He looked up and saw the the large scorpion-like arm fly right over where his head would've been.

Still focused on the crazed monster in front of them, the class just barely saw Pyrrha leap into the air with Jaune's sword in hand, and thrusted it in between the Death Stalker's back plates, impaling it straight through the abdomen. It died with one last insect-like whimper.

"Very good Miss Nikos! That was quite the show." Professor Port said as he clapped his hands.

The rest of the class was too stunned to clap. It was common for Grimm to go berserk during combat, but why would one deliberately rip its own arm off? What was the deal with what happened during those last few moments?

"Alright class, let's give a big round of applause to Mr. Arc and Miss Nikos for bravely taking on this beast!"

The class came back to their senses, and started clapping. Pyrrha helped her teammate back onto his feet, and the bell rang.

"Remember class, I want that report on the uses King Taijitu venom within the week! now have a good rest of your day. Dismissed."

Kebiin stood back up and saw the arm and body of the Death Stalker beginning the evaporation process. Ren pulled Pyrrha's shield out of the dissipating claw, and walked down to give it back to his teammate. Kebiin winced when he saw the small crater the Death Stalker had created by throwing its own arm into the stands, realizing that had nearly hit his head instead.

"Woah… Thanks for the save, Ruby. I owe you one."

"No problemo" she responded. "Just another day in the life of a Beacon Academy student" she laughed nervously. A cold feeling hung in the air as the team exiting the classroom, ready to head off to their next period.

The room was dark, save for the light that shone on the sparring stage. Professor Goodwitch stood on the corner of the stage, taking notes as Jaune and Cardin fought one another. Kebiin found it hard to watch in the sense that it was pitiful. He had humiliated Cardin on his first day on that very stage, and now he was re-establishing his dominance by beating on Jaune. He flaunted himself with every swing, making it obvious that Jaune was out of his league. He was just toying with him because he had the power to do so.

The two of them clashed their weapons together, and Cardin whispered something to his victim. Kebiin couldn't hear his words, but it was obviously a dirty taunt. Cardin kneed Jaune in the gut, causing him to fall to the ground. Cardin was just about to smash Jaune's head in with his mace when the buzzer signaling the end of the round went off.

"That's enough" Professor Goodwitch said calmly. The class lightly applauded out of courtesy.

"Students, as you can see, Mr. Arc's Aura is in the red." She directed her hand to a projection of what resembled a video game health bar on the wall. The bar under Cardin's portrait was a full green color, while Jaune's had a sliver of red remaining.

"In a tournament style duel, this would indicate the Jaune is no longer fit for battle, and the official may call the match. Mr. Arc, it's been weeks now. _Please_ try to refer to your scroll during combat. Gaging your aura will help you decide when when it is appropriate to attack, and when it is better to move to a more… defensive strategy. We wouldn't want you to be gobbled up by a Beowulf now, would we?"

"Speak for yourself" Cardin grunted as he walked off stage.

Jaune took a look at his scroll, sighing in disappointment while still seated on the floor.

"Remember everyone: the Vytal Festival is only a few months away. It won't be long until students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing. Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament, will be representing _all_ of Vale."

Yang punched the air while Weiss and Ruby jumped up and down trying to contain their excitement. Vale was finally hosting the Vytal festival this year, and they were determined to prove that Vale had the best Huntsman and Huntresses in all of the four kingdoms.

The bell rung, and the students cleared the classroom. Jaune slowly stood up, head tilted down in shame.

Team RWBBY was walking down the hallway after the all their classes had ended, discussing their class field trip with Professor Goodwitch to the Forest of Foreverfalls that was planned for later that week.

"I hear this time of year, the leaves of the forest look like big rose petals falling from the sky. Do you know how awesome that is!?" Ruby squealed.

"Oh, please. I've had enough rose petals flying everywhere to last me a lifetime." Weiss joked.

"Why are you so cold…"

"Care to explain the rose petal situation?" Kebiin asked as they turned a corner.

"Oh, you haven't seen any of our semblances yet, have you?" Yang replied.

"Can't say I have."

"Well, Ruby is our little speedster. Whenever she goes * _WHOOM!*,_ she leaves a ton of rose petals behind. We don't really know why, but it's pretty neat."

"Sounds nifty." Kebiin said.

"And by nifty you mean obnoxious?" Weiss remarked.

"Oh, Weiss, you're breaking my heart here…" Ruby jokingly placed her hand over her heart and her arm over her eyes, pretending to cry. Everyone but Weiss snickered, who simply made a pout face. The group continued down to their dorm room when they ran into Professor Ozpin out in the courtyard, followed by Professor Goodwitch who was rigorously entering grades and scores into her tablet.

"Ah, team RWBBY. I trust everything is going well?"

"Totally!" Ruby beamed. "The more the merrier, right?"

"Yes, I believe I can agree with that. Friendship is one of those things you can treasure for an eternity after all." He said, smiling. "Remember the first day we met, Glynda?"

"Mhmm…" She said, barely acknowledging his existence.

"So Kebiin, I take it you've settled in quite nicely?"

" _Elek!_ I mean, yes! It feels like I'm at a home finally."

"Glad to hear it." Ozpin said, taking a sip out of his mug. "So now that you've settled nice and comfortably, ready for our talk?"

The others looked at him, wondering what Ozpin meant. Kebiin remembered what he had said after his entrance exam. He moved his hand to his lightsaber, and then to the cube-shaped holocron in his pack.

"Whaaaaat? you have to talk with the headmaster again?" Ruby complained. She looked back at Ozpin, realizing he was still there. "Oh, uhh… I mean that you uhh… I'll just stop talking."

Ozpin gave her a light smile and readjusted his glasses. "Oh, that's quite alright Ruby. I'll be sure to return him to you before lights out. This won't become a regular occurrence, I promise."

"It won't take long." Kebiin reassured her. "I'll meet you back at the dorm. And when you talk to Jaune, tell him I said good luck."

Ruby nodded, and the others walked off, leaving him with the professors.

Kebiin followed Ozpin back to his office, leaving Glynda outside the door. The professor took his seat behind his desk, and propped his elbows up, folding his hands together in front of his mouth. He gestured for Kebiin to take a seat. He did as told.

"Well, regarding your Exam the other day, I have to say, your defeat of the Nevermore was quite impressive. But I'm not going to ask you about that just yet. First, I want to ask you about that device you have on your belt."

Kebiin tightened his grip on his lightsaber without unclipping it. He ran his thumb across the various grooves and grips aligned along the hilt, unsure of how to answer.

"Yes, that seems to be the one." Ozpin noted when he saw Kebiin grab the hilt. "I went to investigate the little mishap with our camera feed when I found that very item on the ground. I just so happened to press a button and to my surprise, a laser nearly singed some of my hairs. Care to explain where you got a weapon such as that?"

Kebiin moved his arm over the lightsaber as though he were trying to hide it from view. That wouldn't help at all, but how could he tell anyone the truth? this technology didn't exist on Remnant, and claiming it came from anywhere beyond Remnant would make everyone think he was crazy.

"Kebiin." Ozpin said a little more slowly. "You don't have to lie again. Trust me, I'll be able to tell. Whatever secrets you have are safe with me. You have my word."

Kebiin bit his lip. Could Ozpin honestly be able tell if he was being honest, even if the truth would be so outlandish? Perhaps that was part of his Semblance.

"It's just like I said, I'm just a foreigner. My mom gave me her lightsaber when…" Kebiin fell silent. Not only had he given away what the lightsaber was called now, but he had made himself recall that final day on Coruscant again. The day his whole world changed. He hated that he was so powerless at the thoughts of his past. A Mandalorian should be fearless, a Jedi should be strong-willed, and a Huntsman should be heroic. How could he ever hope to be any of those if he cried every time he thought about his mom? He gritted his teeth and forced himself not to cry like he did in front of Blake.

"A lightsaber? Hmm." Ozpin let the sound of the word settle as thought to himself. "What exactly is a lightsaber?"

Kebiin couldn't let Ozpin corner him like this. He had to try and sneak his way around the conversation, adapt his story to fit the context of Remnant better.

"It's… A lightsaber is an experimental weapon that my mom-"

"You're a terrible liar, young man. I don't need a Semblance to see that much." Ozpin interrupted. The speed at which he had seen through him felt like a bullet. He felt totally off guard at being struck and now helpless that he had been cornered.

"Listen." Ozpin said, now a little more calm. "When I first spoke to you in the hospital, I figured you were telling the truth about not being from Vale. Your language indicated at least that much."

Kebiin snorted. It was kind of amusing, really. He had ended in a whole different galaxy, but he had never forgotten a single word, phrase, or swear in Mando'a. No matter how good he got at english.

"I could tell your story was at least based on some truth." Ozpin continued. "But it wasn't the whole truth. Kebiin, as the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, I have a duty to protect and care for my staff and students and help them in any way I can. But as a Huntsman, I also have a duty to Vale and Remnant as a whole to protect it from anything that could potentially harm it. Quite frankly, you and that lightsaber are a bit of an unknown. I just want to make sure I can treat you as Headmaster."

Kebiin let out a long sigh and looked back up at Ozpin. "Sir, if I tell you what I am, do you promise not to tell anyone?"

The professor nodded.

"Ok…" Kebiin took a deep breath once again. He had quite some explaining to do.


	10. Chapter 10

**Three years before Kebiin's acceptance into Beacon Academy**

General James Ironwood stood outside just a few kilometers out of Atlas's main city walls in front of a crowd of spectators and officials, demonstrating their latest aircraft model. The dark H-shaped fighter swooped over the sky at the speed of their fastest jets, yet was able to come to a full stop and hover just like a helicopter gunship. All the while making a loud high-pitched screeching, roaring sound like that of a monster. It darted across the sky, maneuvered its way around large trees and mountain formations, impressing the crowd.

"As you can see ladies and gentlemen," James started. "These new fighters are far more lightweight, adaptable, and fast."

The "Howler Jet" as they've come to be known as, made another spin and dive along the side of the cliff face, making yet another prominent howling noise as it steadied its elevation. Those wearing military uniforms in the crowd either had an impressed look on their faces or were analyzing the flight style of the fighter very closely.

"Despite their natural superiority to most modern weaponry, these _howlers_ are incredible fast and efficient to make. In fact, we have hundreds more ready on the factory shelves."

One of the audience members raised their hands. "They may be impressive to look at, but what sort of punch do these things have? They won't be any good if we can't use them to kill monsters."

"Glad you asked!" James pressed the comlink in his ear to contact his protege, who in fact was piloting the fighter. "Kayana, care to show us a light show?"

"Yeah!" He heard her chirp from the other side of the signal. "No problem."

The circular webbed cockpit of the fighter turned to face the cliffside and hung in the air, readjusting its position incredibly fast. When it did, several green blasts of energy erupted from two small holes just below the cockpit window, blasting a large crater into the side of the cliff. The blasts faded with an alien-like hiss and twang.

The crowd was truly stunned this time. They murmured amongst themselves about what they just saw, but agreed it wasn't your typical cannon or gun.

"You see, a _howler's_ biggest advancement isn't just how easy they are to pilot or their new twin ion engines, but they also utilize the latest in out top-of-the-line energy cannon technology. In the next decade or so, I have no doubt that firearms will be replaced, and warfare will be forever changed."

The crowd stood up and applauded as the fighter made a gentle glide back onto the ground and right behind James. He applauded as his latest and brightest protege climbed her way out of a door hatch at the top of the cockpit, and down a ladder to wave at the crowd.

She took off her black flight helmet to reveal attractive young woman around her mid-thirties. She had long brown hair and striking blue eyes that always had the look of someone looking out into the future. The look of someone with a plan. Atlas needed people like that.

James held his hand out to Kayana, addressing her in front of the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, today's pilot and Atlas's soon-to-be general, my student, Kayana!"

Kayana smiled and waved at the crowd as James continues to speak to the audience. "Now that you have seen a live demonstration of these fighters, we would like to prove to the world that Atlas is the top dog of technological and economic advancement. With enough funding and scientists to keep up this kind of work, Atlas's military industry would greatly appreciate it if you would consider investing in us in our effort to retain peace in the presence of the Grimm."

The small party afterwards was quite tame, but James and Kayana ended up getting a slew of questions and offers regarding the _howler_. Several people went up to the fighter, brushing their hands on the vertical facing wings or trying to find out where the non-existent ammo cartridge would be. Kayana handled the people, who were typically military engineers or officials, about the logistics of the fighter while James took on the investors.

Kayana was still wearing her black pilot uniform but had left the one-piece suit unzipped from the waist up, revealing a simple tank top with Atlas's emblem embroidered above her left breast. She held her helmet and respirator underneath her arm.

"Incredible!" One of the spectators congratulated her. "How long have you been studying under the General?"

"Oh, about a year or so. People like me typically enroll in the military at a younger age, but I managed to catch up pretty easily."

"Have you been a pilot for long?"

"Not really. I've been around the _howlers_ for a while but they're really easy to fly."

"Only a year? You must be quite the talented young woman!"

Kayana puffed her chest out in pride. "Heh. I like to think so, too."

"What about the guns on the thing? What kind of ammunition does it use? Dust?"

"Actually no. Like Mr. Ironwood said, these fighters are a culmination of all our most recent developments. The lasers are just that: lasers. It uses absolutely no projectiles."

The small group around her raised their eyebrows and whistled, impressed.

"Astonishing! this is revolutionary. Seems Atlas will spearhead a new age in weaponry. The General must be proud of you!"

"I sure hope so." Kayana laughed. She took a quick glance at James, who was caught up in a similar situation as her. If she broke away now, she would be free for at least a few minutes.

"Excuse me, I need to make a call. I'll rejoin you people in a bit." Kayana trotted off away from the crowd and the fighter, heading far enough and behind several trees to make sure she would be alone. She reached into her back pocket and took out a circular shaped holodisc. She

activated it, and a small blue image of one of her crewmen appeared. Judging from the dark armor and black hood, it was one of the Inquisitors. Rowand.

"How are we this evening, Admiral? Enjoying the local festivities?" Rowand said in a cool and sarcastic tone.

"Ha... ha… ha." Even if Kayana was the most qualified to gain political and military influence on Remnant, everyone knew she would much rather be on the _Midnight Song_ with her crew. "You're going to be stuck down here with me in a little bit, Inquisitor."

"No need to be hostile, Admiral." Rowand said innocently. "Did the locals enjoy the show?"

"Of course they did. They have yet to even move past ballistic firearms yet. But with a little help, we'll have what we need in a few years. If all goes well, we'll be getting a small fleets worth of TIEs in a relatively short amount of time."

"Excellent." The Inquisitor said. "Just a little longer, and Atlas will practically be the Empire without knowing it."

"So are you set for your mission? I've been keeping a rather… close eye on our subject. I'm sure she can help us with our little fuel issue."

"If you think this "Cinder Fall" is capable of getting the Dust we need, then I won't object to your decision, Admiral. My shuttle will touch down in a few days. I suggest you pull the strings needed to keep my presence here unknown to the locals."

"Don't worry, Inquisitor. I'm free-spirited, not sloppy. Just do your part, and the Empire will benefit from your contribution. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to head back to my "mentor"." Kayana shut her holodisc off, and Rowand's holographic image faded away. She turned around, and headed back to the party.

* * *

 **Present Day**

Ruby was mesmerized by the Forest of Foreverfalls. In fact, everyone in their class group was. The trees slowly swaying in the wind, the petal leaves gently dancing down onto the forest floor… It was like walking through one of her dreams. But of course, dreams had to end sometime or another. And in this case, the dream ended with the beginning of collecting sticky pink tree sap for Professor Port's class, with Professor Goodwitch acting as a chaperone.

"Now remember children, the Forest of Foreverfalls _is_ beautiful, but this place is full of the creatures of Grimm. Be sure to be on your guard, and stick with your teams." She would say whenever the students would get too immersed into the sights.

Kebiin seemed to be the only one who wasn't having a good time, other than Jaune who had been stuck carrying team CRDL's gear for them.

"Oi, Kebiin, wake up there!" She said, waking her hand in front of his face. "You're not a space man. You gotta keep your mind down here on Remnant. How many times do I need to tell you? If you keep going into la-la land like this you're gonna smack right into a tree."

"La-la land? You're one to talk." Weiss said without any effort at subtlety.

"That's not the point! I'm just try'n to get blue boy here to mind where he's-" Ruby was cut mid-sentence when her foot snagged on a tree root. She was about to faceplant right onto the ground when she noticed she had been suspended off the ground just a tad, and quickly dropped back down, reducing the impact of the fall. She thought she saw Kebiin raise his arm ever so slightly as she levitated.

"Don't worry, I'm paying attention." He said as he helped her back up.

"Thanks." Ruby said as she brushed the leaves from her combat skirt. "It's just that… well, you've been really quiet since your talk with Ozpin a few days ago. Like, quieter than Blake."

Blake shot a rather unamused look at her team leader, but Ruby either didn't notice or ignored it.

"Sorry boss. I'm just a little… I don't know. Confused I guess. Before I know it, I'm going to start mixing up _ner joha. ibac Ru'kel cuyir nuhunla, huh alor?_ "

"Woah, easy on the foreignese there." Ruby joked.

"So I am getting my languages mixed up…" Kebiin moaned. "I should've practice Basi- I mean English more as a kid."

The class finally reached their spot in the forest and were given jars to collect the sap with. How a medium sized tree could be milked enough to supply several large jars was beyond Kebiin, but it seemed to work nonetheless. The teams split up into sap collectors and sentries, most of them sticking with members of their direct teammates. Jaune on the other hand, half followed and was half dragged by Cardin to a separate spot. Pyrrha made it clear that Jaune claimed he knew what he was doing, but Kebiin agreed with her in the sense he didn't believe it one bit. On the other hand, it was clear to him that Jaune wanted to be able to solve this on his own terms. As much as he wanted to, he wasn't going to join Nora on any leg-breaking adventures.

Several dull minutes passed, and everyone had gotten over the whimsicalness of the forest. Boredom had set in, and Professor Goodwitch was out of view. Jaune and team CRDL was nowhere to be found either. Kebiin's eyes were beginning to flutter when he heard a loud *BANG!* followed by a high-pitched ringing noise. He jolted awake, frantically looking around. The noise didn't sound like it was coming from any direction, almost as if it were happening right in Kebiin's own ears, but he could pinpoint exactly where it came from: the last place he saw Jaune disappear to. No one reacted in any way to the sudden noise, as if they never heard it. He tapped Weiss, who was closest to him at the time, on the shoulder.

"Did you hear that?"

She looked at him, somewhat puzzled. "Hear what?"

"URSA, URSA!" All the members of team CRDL save for Cardin himself came running in, screaming their heads off. The one with the mohawk bumped right into Yang, who didn't even flinch. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back up on his feet.

"Where?" She demanded.

"Back there, it's got Cardin!" He said, pointing toward deeper into the forest. Yang let him go, and allowed him to scamper off.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha gasped.

Kebiin unclipped his recently crafted weapon from his belt but refrained from unfolding it just yet. Ruby took more action, unveiling Crescent Rose without a second's hesitation.

"You four go get Goodwitch." She said, nodding at Blake, Yang, Nora, and Ren. "There could be more. Weiss, Kebiin, Pyrrha, you're with me."

The four of them continued deeper into the forest until they entered on the edge of a small clearing. Jaune stood between an enraged Ursa and a crippled Cardin, sword and shield ready to defend.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Ruby barely took a step when Pyrrha held her arm out to stop her

"No, wait…"

"They're about to get eaten alive and you're telling me to stop?!" Ruby protested.

"Ruby, I think we should listen to Pyrrha." Kebiin said. Pyrrha may have had her own motivations, but he wanted to see if he was right about what he had felt in hearing that mysterious sound.

The Ursa swung its massive claws down, but Jaune had more than enough time to block. The Ursa charged with its head, knocking Jaune across the forest floor. He skidded back up, and brought his sword up to swing at the Ursa's head. The monster lept into the air, and pounced at its target.

 _"His shield isn't high enough"_ Kebiin noticed. _"Just a little more, and you can deflect the next blow. Or maybe... "_ Kebiin reached his hand up, and tried to make contact with the Grimm's mind. Maybe if he could disrupt its thoughts just a bit, maybe if he could-

Pyrrha beat him to it. She raised her arm, a low hum was heard, and Jaune's shield was lifted just slightly enough to deflect the incoming swipe of the Ursa's claws. Jaune spun back around, and decapitated the beast. Jaune stood above the evaporating corpse, triumphant. He walked over to a rather shocked Cardin, and helped him off the ground. Jaune said a few word to him, but Kebiin couldn't here. He didn't need to. That new look in Jaune's eyes told Kebiin everything he needed to know.

"Wait, how did you…" Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow at Pyrrha.

"Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs, my Semblance is Polarity."

"Oh… you can control poles…" Ruby whispered in awe.

"No you dunce! She can control magnetism!"

"Magnets are cool too… " Ruby said, keeping her same awed tone.

"So should we tell someone about this?" Kebiin said, looking back over at Pyrrha.

"Hmm… Why don't we just keep this as our little secret?" Pyrrha said, smiling.

"Heh. I can agree to that." Kebiin chuckled.

"That sounds fine." Ruby said, tone still unchanged.

Weiss was already walking off, but she nodded in agreement. Ruby followed her shortly after. Kebiin and Pyrrha lingered just a little longer.

"Hey, Pyrrha?"

"Hmm?"

"What's Jaune's Semblance?"

She pursed her lips together and made a semi-confused face. "I… don't know. He doesn't know either. He hasn't discovered it yet."

Kebiin grinned. "I see. Well, we should get back to our group." He walked back to follow Weiss and Ruby, still with a grin across his face. He was right about the sound he heard. And hearing that Jaune had yet to discover his semblance was only confirmation. Jaune had no Semblance. What Kebiin had felt was the Force. Jaune had only been dormant just like Remnant itself. Now all Kebiin had to find out was what was causing the sudden awakening on this planet.

* * *

"You know, you didn't have to come with me on this little excursion." Kebiin said as he walked down the oversized stairs outside of Vale's public library. His arms were already growing tired from the amount of books he had checked out.

"Yeah, but you heard Ruby: 'No one in the team has to venture off alone.'" Weiss said, putting on her best Ruby impression.

"Ruby's voice only goes that high when she giggles."

"True, but she's _always_ giggling." Weiss retorted.

"Well… hmm. I guess you're not wrong there." Kebiin snickered. "Anyhoo, could you help me with these books here? We still got a while before we get back to Beacon and I don't feel like killing my arms today."

"Why do _I_ need to carry them? They're _your_ books." She said, placing one hand on her hip and the other on her chest. "Besides, it's your fault on getting so many history and biology books. Didn't you already learn this in scho-"

"No." Kebiin cut her off, unamused.

"Oh… right." Weiss bit her awkwardly bit her lip. "Why do you even need those things anyways?"

"Just doing some research on a hunch I've got." Kebiin said as he readjusted the grip on the books under his arms, grunting slightly. "It's personal."

"Right," She said, unimpressed.

"That aside, could you _please_ help me out here?" Kebiin pleaded as he did his best job at making puppy eyes. "This lowly commoner would most appreciate it if her highness were to lend him her aid."

"Hmph…" Weiss scoffed, blushing and turning her head the other way. "Tch. Fine then." She grudgingly lifted several books off of the stack Kebiin had been fighting to balance and carry. His arms relaxed, and he sighed in relief.

" _Vor entye_ , Snowflake. Much appreciated."

"I won't do it again if you make this big a deal about it…" She growled.

"Yikes. Cold today, aren't we?"

"What is it with you people and ice-related puns?!" Weiss yelped, clearly annoyed. "Just because my name and Semblance has to do with the winter season doesn't mean-"

"Shh!" Kebiin said, coming to a stop before turning the next corner around the building they were walking next to.

"Don't you shush me! I'm Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee-"

"Oi, _udesii!_ You hear that?" Kebiin gently put his books down on the ground and peeked his head around the corner.

"Hear what?" It was still midday, so Weiss didn't have to worry about being mugged out in the open. Not that she couldn't handle it, of course. She soon heard the sound Kebiin spoke of. It sounding like a mob of screaming people marching in the distance. She poked her head around the corner right above Kebiin's head and saw exactly that. As the crowd drew closer, she could make out the details on the signs some of them were carrying. They had her father's company logo, but they were crossed out. Others read thing like "Preserve Democracy!" and "Power to the People!".

"Protesters." Kebiin said. "Looks like a lot of them are faunus."

"What could they possible be protesting?" Weiss asked, but already having an idea of the answer. "Nothing major has happened as of late."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Weiss. Faunus working conditions in your company isn't exactly smiled upon."

"Hey, what do you possibly know about my family's company?!" She snapped.

"I know that your dad has been taking the steps to set up an oligarchy, for one. That's something these guys here would be pretty ticked off about."

" _Oligarchy_!?" Weiss yelled. "Do you really think my father would set the foundations to overturn the world democracy?"

"Who knows? Just look at Atlas and think about it from there."

"Are you suggesting that my father is to blame for the political mess in Atlas?" Weiss was really fuming at this point. This blue-haired street rat had the gall to insult the most influential Dust company in the world! What insolence…

Kebiin retracted his head from the side of the building and undid his scarf, tossing it at Weiss. "What I'm going to suggest is that you put that thing on before these protesters walk by and see who you are. They're moving a lot faster than it looked a minute ago."

Weiss set down her baggage of books and reluctantly agreed to do as he said. She wrapped the scarf around her neck and put the hood over her head. The protesters marched their way along the street, yelling and chanting various pro-equality and anti-corporate phrases. Weiss turned her face away and Kebiin did his best to nonchalantly hide her expensive white dress with his skinny frame from view.

"Let's take a different route." Kebiin whispered. "It'll take longer to get back to Beacon, but it'll be easier than weaving our way through all these guys."

"Yeah…" Weiss nodded, seeing the large size of the mob up-close. "Yeah, let's go."

Before Weiss could turn away, a dog faunus at the edge of the crowd closest to the two of them halted. He sniffed a few times in the air, and looked straight at Weiss and Kebiin. Weiss locked eyes with him for a split second before sharply turning her head away. Too late.

"Hey, I think that's the Schnee kid!" The faunus man yelled. Even among the voices of the crowd, his words cut right through just enough to get their attention. A portion of the mob flooded toward them, screaming insults and questions at the heiress. "Go back to Atlas!" and "Why do you make the people suffer?!" Where among such things that were said. Before they knew it, they were completely surrounded by the mob. Kebiin entered a fighting stance on pure instinct.

"Kebiin, we gotta talk to these people!" Weiss whispered to him. "I don't want to make things worse than they already are."

Kebiin's stance didn't waver. He had been surrounded and cornered enough times for this to become his default reaction. If anything, it looked like he was going to unclip his weapon from his belt. Weiss had yet to see him use the weapon he had constructed, but she had no desire to see it used now.

"Hey, Schnee! Are you just like the rest of your over-bloated corrupt family?!" A crowd member yelled.

"Don't you dare call my father corrupt, you holligan!" Weiss screamed back.

"See? She's just like the rest of them! People like her sit on their thrones while she lets the faunus die in the Dust mines!"

"What!? The Schnee family does not sit idly by while our employees are subject to harm!"

Various people, especially faunus, began yelling at her without any sense of unity or collaboration.

"You care about us? A Schnee could never care for the common faunus!"

"Who do you think you are? You've been pampered all your life! You have no idea what hardship is like!"

"Power belongs to the people, not to you!"

Weiss had no time to attempt to answer any of them. They kept yelling and screaming without even letting the idea of giving her a voice slide. The crowd backed them further into the wall of the building, waving their banners and signs higher and higher into the air, shouting louder and louder.

The uproar of emotion was starting to become too much. Kebiin couldn't focus. The dog faunus from before lunged at Weiss, making at attempt to grab her for whatever reasons he intended. Weiss easily sidestepped him, but this action was all that was needed to set Kebiin off. He lunged for the faunus, punching him square in the jaw. He fell to the ground, out cold. The crowd was silent for a moment, trying to make sense of what just happened. Was this blue-haired punk her boyfriend or something?

Kebiin realized what he just did and came back to his senses. The little color in Weiss's face drained completely, anticipating the crowds reaction. Kebiin knew that if he and Weiss didn't come up with something quick, a disaster would be at hand.

There was a burst of sound from the crowd, and those in front took a few steps forward. Kebiin threw his hands up, reaching out to the Force with every shed of concentration he had in him. The crowd halted, many of them looking confused. Kebiin knew he had done at least something right if the mob wasn't already tearing his limbs off. He could feel the pause in at least a few of their minds. He heard Weiss dial rapidly into her scroll.

"You want to go away." Kebiin commanded them. He was never the best at mind tricks, but it was the only thing he knew that had any hope of resolving this peacefully.

Virtually the whole crowd was saying things like "huh?" and "what?". Kebiin had confused them, but he needed to do more. The crowd is fickle, and a crowd tends to shift mood and operate as though it were one organism. He just had to think of them as one mind. One person shouted from the crowd, breaking free of his induced confusion.

"Hey, kid! What the hell are you talkin' about!?"

Kebiin took a deep breath, and emptied his mind the best he could. His fear and anxiousness was still present, so he could either use or ignore them. Either way, he simply needed to get the job done. He felt the Force course its way through him and into the crowd. He sensed every individual, their anger, their willingness to fight, and the energy that bound them all. This was his chance.

"No! You all want to back off and go, now!"

More of the crowd was effected this time. At least half of them. A few of them stumbled backwards, unsure about what they were feeling. "We… we don't want to-"

" _Usenye!_ I said, GOOO!"

Many in the crowd began rubbing their heads and taking minute steps backwards. They didn't know what they wanted to do. They wanted to tell the Schnee heiress off, they wanted to punish them for all the trouble they had caused. Yet at the same time, the kid that was with her mad so much sense… they didn't want to stay, they all wanted to go away…

Weiss had no idea what to make of what she was seeing. Her teammate was commanding a whole angry mob that was hellbent on beating the two of them senseless, or worse. Most of them had a look of uncertainty on their faces, like they had no idea what they were even doing in the first place. Others in the crowd seemed totally unaffected, but were too confused to try and help the rest that seemed totally mesmerized.

The sound of a motorcycle engine in the distance began to gain prominence in the distance. Weiss's call had gotten through. The sound broke Kebiin's concentration, and he collapsed onto the ground, sweaty and panting. A good portion of the crowd fell to their knees and grabbed their heads as if they just had a major headache. They quickly parted ways and ran when Yang rode in on her motorcycle, going full speed expecting the crowd to move out of the way. She continued until she reached the small clearing where Weiss was helping Kebiin back onto his feet.

"Cavalry's arrived, kids! You called?"

"Yang, can you just get us out of here!?" Weiss gritted between her teeth, carrying Kebiin over her shoulder. He was heavier than he looked.

"Geez, you two attracted quite the audience. What'ya do?" Yang asked as Weiss slumped Kebiin onto the bike seat, hauling herself up right after.

"I'll explain later! Just drive!"

"Hold on kids, this might be a little bumpy!"

The three of them sped off from the confused mob in a whirlwind of excitement, exhaustion, and pure bewilderment.

* * *

Kebiin was surrounded by a city of rubble. Vegetation had taken over many of the collapsed buildings, and remains of ancient looking ships dotted the jagged landscape. He could hear several snarls coming from the dark corners of the broken buildings, and occasionally caught glimpses of pale hunched-over creaters darting back and forth between the ruins, but they never made an advance on him.

 _"How did I get here?"_ Kebiin thought. _"Yang was driving us back home and then…"_ Kebiin quickly realized his situation. He should have figured his vision of the Jedi Purge wouldn't be the last. The Force truly was cruel.

A sudden electric howling noise rang through the various ruins and debris, followed by a cry of pain. That noise… it vaguely resembled a lightsaber ignition. Kebiin rushed to the source of the sound, and sure enough, four people surrounded a young man. His arm had been amputated, and the remains of a slashed lightsaber hilt lay next to him. Azrilin stood over him, wielding a crimson half-circle guard lightsaber above his head. The blade didn't resonate the trademark hum of a lightsaber, but rather a chilling yet almost musical whistling sound. Two others stood next to her, both roughly her age. A male human, and a green-skinned female Mirialan. The fourth individual was the Kaleesh Inquisitor Kebiin saw on his final day in his home galaxy. He stood patiently, waiting for Azrilin to execute the Jedi. The strange, almost musical whistling hum of her lightsaber was the only noise in the whole area. The Mirialan was the first to break the silence.

"Come one Azrilin, do it already!" The malice in her voice didn't seem to fit her body. Mirialan's have always had a history with the Lightside of The Force. Seeing one just under Kebiin's age demanding the death of a defeated Jedi was beyond unsettling.

"Nyxona, quiet down! Don't you dare to talk to my sister that way!" the male grabbed her by the collar of her tunic, just about ready to punch her.

"Oh, silly Rowand… You former Jedi are so naive. This is why I'm glad our dear Emperor found me before the Jedi had the chance to. Always so weak, always so cowardly. You'll never be able to-"

"SHUT UP!" Azrilin screamed at the two of them. "I… I have to do this! F-for the Empire!" Her voice wavered just on the verge of tears. Her arms shook violently, unwilling to kill another person.

Kebiin wanted to step in, wishing he had an actual tangible effect within his dream. But there was nothing he could do. He could only stand by helplessly and watch the scene unfold. He tried to look away or cover his eyes, but something in his mind told him not to.

"Sis…" Rowand was lost as to what to say.

"Just because I'm your sister doesn't mean you have to protect me, Rowand! I… I can-" The lightsaber flew out of her hand, and into the palm of the Kaleesh.

Sister? Kebiin nearly lost his balance at the sound of the word. His mom had a brother. Kebiin looked more closely at Rowand, examining his features. He shared the same amber eyes as him and his mom, the same lean but firm build, and he had a blue tint in his dark hair that resembled Kebiin's. There was no mistaking it. The boy in front of Kebiin was his uncle.

"Master Xaelos, I... " Azrilin stumbled backwards, looking at the expression of sheer terror on their victim's face. Xaelos approached her, shaking his head. He grabbed her by the jaw, kneeing her in the gut and punching her several times before throwing her back onto the ground.

"Azrilin!" Rowand ran to take care of his sister, but was stopped by Xaelos. Kebiin tried to muster his strength to run toward his mom, but his legs were stiff and unresponsive. He tried shouting, but the air refused to carry his voice. Xaelos brought the lightsaber back up, and forcefully placed it in Rowand's hands. Xaelos tilted his head back at the terrified Jedi. Rowand knew immediately what he was being asked to do. He reversed his grip on the lightsaber, pointing the blade downward, and approached his victim. The Jedi was to frightened to speak.

"Rowand, stop!" Azrilin extended her arm toward her brother, but Xaelos planted his clawed foot on her hand, breaking it. She immediately drew it back, hugging it close to her body and groaning in pain.

"I'm sorry…" Rowand closed his eyes, and impaled the Jedi through the collarbone and out his lower back. The body toppled over, sliding out of the side of the blade and leaving a long deep cauterized gash in the side of the corpse. The lightsaber hissed back into its hilt, but Rowand still held it in the same position. His mind was having difficulty registering that he had committed murder for the first time on behalf of his sister.

"Hmph. That's more like it." Nyxona snickered, crossing her arms. "See master? This is why these former Jedi shouldn't be in the Inquisitor program. They're far too-" She was cut short by Xaelos backhanding her across the face. She was knocked off balance, but managed to somehow stay on her feet despite the force of the blow. A large red mark was now visible on her green skin. Blood seeped from cuts inflicted by Xaelos's talon-like claws.

"Y-yes Master." She said, holding back a tear of pain. "I'll try not to speak out of turn next time…"

This didn't satisfy Xaelos. He grabbed Nyxona's face with the tips of his fingers, lifted her off the ground, and dug his claws into her face, dragging them across her traditional tattoos. Her cries of pain were muffled by his reptilian palm. The harder she kicked, screamed, or tried to grab his wrist, the more pressure he applied to his claws. After what felt like an eternity, Xaelos finally let go of the Mirialan girl. She collapsed onto the ground, hands covering her face and still muffling her screams. Azrilin and Rowand simply stood there, petrified at what they had seen their teacher inflict upon what they assumed to be his preferred student. Blood leaked from between her fingers.

"I-I will not speak again, Master! I promise!" Nyxona cried through her hands, making a weak attempt to hide her sobs.

Xaelos nodded in satisfaction, and ripped the lightsaber out of Rowand's hands. He walked off toward deeper into the ruins, and his students had no choice but to follow. Azrilin went to help Nyxona off the ground, but she quickly scrambled up and shoved her away, still covering her face with one hand.

"I don't need your help, _Jedi_. Leave me be..."

Azrilin sighed and limped toward her brother, clutching her broken hand.

* * *

Kebiin woke up. The small amount of light shining through their curtains indicated that it was very early morning. It wasn't cold, but he was shivering somewhat violently. Kebiin honestly didn't know how to feel. He didn't want to keep receiving these visions. They were too painful to sit through. But on the other hand, he now knew that his mom and clan weren't the last of his family. But that wasn't necessarily a good thing. He doubted his uncle Rowand and his mom left the Empire together seeing as how she never mentioned him. Even if they did, that would mean he would have been dead for a very long time. But the alternative would mean he was a full-fledged ex-Jedi turned Jedi hunter. Kebiin's train of thought was disrupted by a light shake on his shoulder. He looked up to see who it was, but he knew it was Blake before he even got a glimpse of her.

"You've been asleep ever since Yang and Weiss brought you back. I figured I'd wake up early to check up on you."

Kebiin couldn't help but smile just a little. It was nice knowing that people cared for one another here. "So you you were just staring at me while I was asleep?" He joked.

"Of course not!" She yelped. She quickly put her hand up to her mouth, remembering to lower her voice. "Of course not. I'm not a vampire or anything. Besides, you're not the only who can't get a decent rest because of occasional nightmares."

"Well that sure is comforting." Kebiin smiled slightly as he sat up, catching a small glimpse of Blake's slightly more sharpened feline canines. A few strands of his hair dropped down in front of his eyes as he propped up. Even in the slight dimness of the dorm, he could still clearly tell that his hair was a more vibrant shade of blue than his uncle's.

"Was it worse tonight?" She asked.

"The dream? I… I don't know. Different, but… still scary. What about you? Was it about your old group?"

"Always is." She sighed.

"Adam?" The name escaped his mouth before Kebiin even realized he had been picking up on Blake's thoughts. He couldn't help it. Her thoughts were floating free, and his mind was tired. It acted like a sponge, soaking up whatever information it could, voluntary or not while he was in his drowsy state.

Blake was caught totally off guard. She had never told anyone Adam's name. " But I never… How did you…?"

Blake leaned forward. The dead serious look on her face paired with the near panic in her eyes created a stark contrast that Kebiin was having trouble responding to. He had cornered himself. Blake was smart, she knew she never told him her old partner's name. There was no way he could convince her otherwise. And she was strong-minded enough to resist influence through the Force. Even if she wasn't, Kebiin wouldn't consider it an option.

"Kebiin, answer me. How did you know?"

He needed to tell her something. He needed his answer to make sense, and the truth wouldn't make sense. This wasn't the time or the place. Ozpin was now the only one who knew, and it was more comfortable to keep it that way, at least for a little while longer.

"My… my people have a special aspect to our Semblance. It allows us to see into the minds of others. We can see and hear certain strong thoughts. Flashes of the past, glimpses into someone's emotion…"

"You were reading my mind!?" This time, Blake woke everyone up. "You better not be lying!"

"Blake, I'm sorry, it was an accident!" Kebiin pleaded. "I didn't mean…"

"Blake, what's going on?" Yang was the first one up.

"Looks like Kebiin "accidentally" looked into my head."

"I'm sorry! Blake, I never meant-"

"No!" She barked at him. "What else did you see? Did you look into all our private thoughts?"

"N-no, I would never…" Kebiin looked genuinely hurt. He retreated to the other side of his bed and his eyes were turning watery. He almost looked like a child.

Weiss was the first to break the awkward silence. "You're a mind reader? That's ridiculous! There's no Semblance powerful enough to read minds. It's impossible." She said in her always charming voice.

"Then how could he know…" Blake trailed off. She had already made the situation suspicious enough as is.

"Blake." Ruby said. "I think we all just need to calm down a little. I just want to know what's going on. You need to relax."

" _I_ need to relax?" Blake snapped. "If Kebiin is telling the truth, who knows what else he goes through in our heads? How would you feel if someone just went through all your personal thoughts?"

"Well…" Ruby started. "I… I guess I wouldn't really like that." She was silent for a moment before beginning again. "So, can you actually read minds?"

Kebiin regained himself. He sat up straight, took a deep breath, and gave his explanation. "It's complicated. People like my mom and I can sometimes see bits and pieces off what someone is thinking or what they have done. Only flashes though. Nothing extensive. Years of rigorous training is needed to hone that type of skill."

"And why should we believe you on that?" Weiss said, raising an eyebrow. "You do realize how all this sounds right? We're all sound asleep when suddenly Blake starts screaming that you're a mind reader. Not only do mind readers not exist, but now I've missed out on another good hour or two of sleep. So you better have a way to prove it."

"You already know how I can prove that." Kebiin said somewhat ashamed. "It's not something people like. You saw how the mob earlier reacted."

"You mean… you were messing with their minds just to keep them off us?"

"Sort of. We were both scared and I didn't know what else to do. I had to act fast or who knows what would've happened."

"Well… huh." Weiss straightened her back and placed a hand on her hip. "I guess that would make sense. I've never seen anyone have that kind of influence on so many angry people. But all they did was look confused. I mean, I sure was at the time. Not because someone was going through my head, but because you decided to take them all on by yourself. Maybe that's what made them pause."

"Making them feel confused was all I could do." Kebiin tried to convince her.

"You know what?" Yang said, leaping off her bunk. "I'm an open book. Go ahead. I'm thinking of something _really_ hard right now so I'm pretty sure you can see it." She said with a hint of sarcasm.

Kebiin leaned forward at her slightly and concentrated. Around two seconds past and Kebiin broke the link, blushing violently. He saw a little more of Yang's thought than he wanted to.

"Soooo what did'ya see?" Yang said with her usual upbeat attitude.

"I don't think it'd be appropriate to say in front of everyone else…"

"Nonsense! You can just whisper it in my ear or something. And I want details. Gotta confirm your mind powers."

Kebiin walked up to her, and whispered for a while into her ear, blushing through the whole thing.

"Ha! Looks like he _can_ read minds!" She laughed as she clapped her hands together. "C'mon, one of you guys give it a try!"

"Yang, I appreciate you trying to lighten the mood, but looking into someone's mind isn't exactly a walk in the park. Besides, I just don't feel… comfortable with it anymore." Kebiin said.

"Oh…" Yang replied weakly. "Sorry…"

"No, it wasn't you. I've seen a little worse than that when I was back with my old clan." He said, giving a light smirk while rubbing the back of his head. If the smirk was meant to make the situation feel less awkward, it didn't work. "I'm just…" He turned to Blake. "I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to go through your private thoughts. Not to mention rude of me to tell you guys about this just now."

Blake sighed and crossed her arms. "Fine. I accept your apology."

Another moment of awkward silence passed. Even though Blake accepted Kebiin's apology, it still felt as though it hung unreceived in the air. This time, Ruby was the first to make a sound by making a slight wincing noise.

"Aahh sooo… Oh! why don't we go check out the Vytal festival preps after school? We can see all the decorations and ships come in at the docks. It'll be fun!"

"Yeah…" Kebiin sighed disappointingly. He glanced back at Blake before averting her eyes again. "That'd be cool."

"Good idea, Ruby!" Yang chirped, trying to keep up a nervous smile as the negativity swirled around the room. "I think it'd be a blast."

"That's two votes!" Ruby proclaimed. "Weiss, Blake?"

"Sounds nice. We could check out all the different people coming in for the tournament." Weiss said. "But for now, I'll see you when I wake up in an hour or so." She crawled back under her sheets, and snuggled against her pillow.

"That's four votes! Looks like we're goin'."

Blake climbed back up to her bunk without saying a word, but grunted in acknowledgment. Kebiin knew he wouldn't be able to sleep for the next hour, but that wasn't much of a deal to him. Early mornings were standard for Mandalorian children, and a requirement for street rats. Becoming a student didn't seem to change at least that much. He wished he could sneak out with his holocron and talk to Revan. His master may have been somewhat monotone at times, but a certain charm had developed from that over the years. Besides, he knew him best. All he could do for the moment was occasionally toss over in his bed and figure out how to make it up to Blake.


	11. Chapter 11

AU: Hey people! Sorry for the long wait on this one. I wanted this to be as good as I can get it to be, and it required a lot of editing and rewriting. I also want to thank Kamen Rider Raika for helping a ton on this chapter. His input, ideas, and advice really helped on this, and he was simply great to work with. This chapter wouldn't be the same without him, and I'm going to take his advice to heart in future instalments. Feel free to check out his page, and enjoy the chapter.

* * *

 **Two years before Kebiin's acceptance to Beacon Academy**

"I just don't get it." Mercury complained. "Why did Cinder have send us to this dusty old place? A ten thousand year old tomb isn't going to fill our wallets."

"Did you or did you not listen to her?" Emerald said, annoyed.

The two of them had been wandering through an ancient crypt for nearly an hour by now. The only light they could see was what their own flashlights had been producing, giving the rest of their surroundings an inky black tone. The entrance had already sealed itself several minutes ago, but according to Cinder, it would open once their job was finished.

From the little light they had to go with, they could tell that the crypt was spacious enough to house the population of a large village in each chamber, but the exact number of these chambers was unknown. The walls were engraved with depictions of human figures locked in some sort of war or conflict, but showed neither side gaining any kind of victory. Carvings of what resembled stars dotted the high ceilings above their heads.

"No, I heard her, but I just wasn't listening."

"You dimwit… I really don't get why Cinder thought you would be our best representative to our latest contact."

"Hey, how hard can it be to deal with a bunch of businessmen? This Roman Torchwick guy is probably just doing some paperwork on his computer or something."

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you could at least _try_ to be witty."

"Hey, it's not my fault!" He said, shrugging his shoulders and gesturing his hands forward. "Besides, this place gives me the creeps."

"What, afraid of the dark?"

"As if. But something just feels… off. Don't you think so?"

Emerald pointed her light back at the star-filled ceiling, realizing the dots didn't show the night sky she was familiar with. "Yeah... " She exhaled. "I think I know what you mean."

Several more minutes of wandering in the dark, and several more minutes with no sign this Torchwick fellow. Part of Mercury began to wonder if Cinder was telling the truth when she said that the door they came through would open again. Of course, Emerald being as devoted as she was, she was confident that Cinder had sent them on the right track.

They turned another corner to enter a corridor leading to another chamber. They could hear voices coming from the room, giving them a glimmer of relief.

"You think that's them?" Mercury whispered.

"Can't be anyone else." Emerald responded.

They ducked their heads into the hall, shining their lights into the chamber. Four men in dark suits and night vision goggles shielded their eyes from the light. They must have been Torchwick's mafia members. Other than them, a tall pedestal was the only notable feature in the abnormally small room.

"Hey, would you kids put that light out!?" one of them hissed through his teeth. "We've already got night vision." He said, pointing to the goggles.

"Sorry, bud." Mercury said, redirecting his flashlight toward the ground. "But we can't exactly see in here."

"Fair enough. You the two the ones Cinder sent?" To their surprise, another man ducked his head forward to reply to them. He was a thin young man wearing a white suit and holding a cane. He had neat orange hair that covered one of his green eyes and wore a fedora to top it all off. A half used cigar was held between his fingers.

"Yup." Emerald nodded. "That's us."

"Good. Roman Torchwick, at your service. I'm so sorry we had to meet in this dusty, dark place, but I'm still very much interested in Cinder Fall's offer. Now come along, I'm sure we've got a lot to discuss.

Now that his little introduction was out of the way, the two of them walked down the short narrow corridor leading into the chamber, both of them relieved that they had finally made some progress on their mission. But the closer they got, the more tense the mafia grunts seemed to look. Emerald tugged on Mercury's sleeve.

"Keep your guard up. Something feels off."

"I always have my guard up." He joked. "Besides, this place has felt off the moment we came in."

"That's not what I-" She stopped once they were in the same room as their contacts. Emerald shined her light on the pedestal in the room. Like the rest of the architecture in the crypt, it was decorated by elaborate alien-looking carvings. Two empty slots on the top of the pedestal were exposed, looking like they were meant to hold some kind of small item. Judging by the amount of dust and dirt collected, whatever was supposed to be in those little slots had been missing for quite some time.

"Alright." Emerald began. "So now that we're all here, let's get a few things down. We've already got a contract with Junior's gang, so the deal here is pretty similar. If you decide to team up with us, Cinder is willing to-"

"I'm afraid it's not going to work out that way." Roman said, waving a finger in the air as he took another puff of his cigar. "I hear Cinder's got a real big plan in place, and me and my boys here would very much like a little more… control over that little project."

"What are you talking about? We're here to talk for Cinder, not offer up our whole-"

Before she could finish, six other men, three for both Emerald and Mercury, lept from the shadows, putting them in choke holds. One man would keep them against the wall, blades to their throats, while the others drew firearms on them, ready to fire.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Emerald yelled. "Do you have any idea what double-crossing Cinder would mean for you?"

"It won't mean much if she doesn't have her two top lackeys." Roman said as he blew out a puff of smoke. "Which reminds me, I didn't catch your names."

"Let us go and maybe we'll tell you." Mercury spat.

"Hmm." Roman grunted, raising his eyebrows. "I like your sense of humor, kid. But I intend to call the shots once you tell me Cinder's plan. Now come on, just tell me what you know and I'll think about letting you go."

"We're not telling you a thing." Emerald said defiantly. She could hear Mercury swallow.

Roman chuckled and tossed his cigar on the ground, crunching it under his boot. "Look, kids. I really don't want to do this, but I'm just so, so curious about this job Ms. Fall is trying to pull. I like you two, so you've got one more chance. You'll find I'm a very generous guy when it comes to this sort of thing. Remember that one blue haired kid we helped out a while back?" He nudged one of his goons.

"Yes sir, I remember that street rat."

"Exactly!" Roman cheered, throwing his arms into the air. "I like to think I'm pretty nice. We've gone on for long enough so let's just-"

The room was suddenly illuminated by a crimson light at the sound of a _*hiss-howl!*_. The head of the man pinning Emerald to the wall fell off his body as a streak of red flashed across the men, making deep humming noises. She just barely made out the outline of a black hooded figure holding a glowing blade with a half-circle guard hilt, weaving his way and cutting down the gangsters with surreal ease. In a split second Emerald was free, and in another blink of an eye, so was Mercury. The severed limbs and heads of the men fell to the ground, wounds burnt and steaming. They didn't even have a chance to scream.

"W-what the hell was that!?" Roman raised his cane, pointing the end of it at the glowing blade, only for it to be severed in half in another flash of crimson. The dark figure raised the blade again, pointing the flickering tip right at Roman's throat, causing him to back up to the small pedestal.

"Ahaha...ha…" Roman chuckled nervously as he fell to ground. "I… uhh…" He gulped. "Listen, I don't know what you- AACCK!"

The figure raised his free arm and slowly clenched his fist as Roman was levitated off the ground, gasping for breath. Both Mercury and Emerald stood exactly where they were, completely caught off guard by the actions of this sudden and mysterious person. Why didn't they notice him before? How long was he here? And what on Remnant was that sword he had? Neither of them had seen anything like it.

Roman's eyes rolled into the back of his head and his face turned blue. He soon went limp, but was now breathing unsteadily. The figure turned to face the other two remaining people in the room other than him and the now unconscious Roman: Mercury and Emerald. The only sound in the room was the raspy whistling noise of the mysterious weapon.

Before either of them could suggest making a break for it, the figure waved his hand in front of him, and the entrance behind them sealed shut with doors neither of them even noticed.

"Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black?" The figure said as he removed his hood. The red light in the room allowed them to finally see his face. He was a young man that couldn't have been older than Cinder, meaning he was somewhere is his late twenties to mid thirties. His skin was just slightly lighter than Emeralds, indicating he was a foreigner of some sort. His amber eyes also reminded them of Cinder's own eyes, but his had far more depth and experience than the scemeing look Cinder's had. Against the crimson light, his hair seemed black but upon closer inspection, it was clearly a dark blue. "You two alright?" He asked.

"Stay back!" Was the first thing that came to Emerald's mouth. She reached behind her hip, pulling out her dual curved-bladed pistols. Mercury followed her lead, readying his boots. "Come any closer and you'll regret it!"

"Yes, because I regretted getting close to these fellows." The man said, nudging his boot against a decapitated head. He turned his attention to Roman's collapsed body, looking away from the two of them.

"I guess I'll have to talk to Cinder before I actually kill this man. I'm pretty sure she still needs him for something seeing as how she sent the two of you to meet with him." He turned his back, walking toward the pedestal in the center of the room.

Mercury glanced at Emerald, who nodded back. Whoever this guy was, there was no way he was getting near Cinder. Emerald took the charge, leaping forward with her weapons to simultaneously impale and shoot the man, while Mercury threw a flying sidekick while firing a round from his boot. The bullets from their firearms barely escaped from their chambers when the man held up his hand, attention still on the pedestal. Mercury and Emerald were levitated into the air, and forcefully slammed against the stone wall behind them. The glow from the man's blade reflected off small objects in the air. The bullets were completely suspended. A second later, the man dropped his arm, and the bullets fell to the ground with a _*tink-tink*_.

"I really suggest we try to get along." The man said casually. "I saved your lives and apprehended Roman Torchwick, I'd say that gives me the freedom to have a pleasant conversation with you two."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glowing orangish-bronze crystal that looked like two rectangular prisms unevenly stuck together, placed it into one of the slots in the pedestal, and waited. Ten seconds of silence passed, and then twenty. Nothing happened. The man sighed, removed the crystal from its slot, and turned back to face Mercury and Emerald. "I still need both…" He whispered under his breath. "Now, let's talk."

Still pressed against the wall, Mercury was the first to speak.

"About what? Who are you?"

"My name is Rowand. I have people to represent and I hoped to become part of your operation."

"You what?" Emerald said disbelievingly. "You snuck into this tomb, followed us, and killed these people who wanted in on our plans so you could… be part of our plan?"

"You could distil it to that, yes." Rowand said. "You also forgot the part where I saved your lives and knocked out Torchwick. I figured Cinder would want to at least have a chat with the man who double crossed her."

"You didn't answer the question completely. Who -or what- are you? What the hell kind of sword are you using?"

Whatever was keeping Mercury and Emerald pinned against the wall released them, causing them to fall on their knees onto the stone floor. Before either of them could stand, Emerald's weapons skidded across the floor over to Rowand's feet. Mercury's boots slipped off his legs and followed soon after.

"Here's the deal." Rowand began. "You take me to see Cinder, I turn Torchwick into her, and I become part of your operation as representative of my people."

"Who exactly are "your people"?" Emerald said as she stood up.

"A couple of friends in Atlas. I guarantee Cinder will want to hear our offer." He paused. "And in regards to my saber, all you need to know is that this could happen to anyone if I felt like it." Rowand took his weapon, and waved the tip at Emerald's throat, then Mercury's. He then gestured to the severed and burnt bodies lain across the floor.

Emerald and Mercury looked at each other, realizing they had no choice. This man had saved their lives and was offering to help them in their plans. Refusal would not only have been illogical, but possibly suicidal. And if he really did intend them harm in the end, they would need Cinder to take him on.

"Fine." Emerald said. "We'll take you to Cinder."

"Hnn." Rowand snorted. "There we go. That wasn't too difficult." Rowand slung Roman's body across his shoulder, and waved his hand in the air. The sealed door behind them opened with a loud, deep grinding noise. Emerald's guns flew from the ground and back into her hand as Rowand walked passed them, illuminating the way with his weapon, but Mercury was hit square in the face by his flying boot. Rowand either didn't notice or didn't care, and gestured for them to hurry up.

* * *

"Roman Torchwick…" Cinder purred. "Who knew you would be this foolish?"

Cinder's lackeys led Rowand to the remains of a border village outside of Vale, only to find a steel-enforced bunker underneath the whole abandoned town. Despite the surface being rather dull and dirty, the bunker itself was incredibly well maintained and clean. Cinder's personal office was dimly lit, but given sufficient light, Rowand was sure he would be able to see his reflection. Cinder herself sat on the edge of a long wooden desk with a small flame flickering in her palm, holding it right in front of Roman's eyes. His hands were bound together behind his back and was forced to the ground on his knees by Emerald and Mercury. Rowand waited his turn to speak near the closed entrance at the back of the room.

"I send my lieutenants to make one simple deal with you, and you try to have them killed. Luckily, because of our mysterious and sudden friend, this very well may work out better than I expected."

"Ma'am?" Emerald perked up.

"So… you're gonna let me live then?" Roman said optimistically.

" _Quiet!_ " Cinder snapped. "You, what was your name again?"

"Rowand." He said as he walked closer toward Cinder.

"Roman and Rowand… you two sound awfully alike."

"Trust me, we're nothing alike." Rowand reassured.

"Given today's events, I can see that is true. Tell me, why did you want to see me? You have my attention."

"I have powerful people in Atlas that want a cut of your mass Dust operation. Now that Torchwick's gang is off the table, I thought you might like our help."

"Are you so certain we can negate Torchwick's gang?" Cinder asked.

"Don't be!" Roman said. "I only had a few guys with me in the tomb. Trust me, the rest will come lookin' for their boss pretty quick."

A device on Rowand's wrist blinked a small green light while making a chirping sound. "I wouldn't be so sure about that." He said. He pressed the button on the device and a woman's voice spoke through it. It was a commlink.

"Nyxona?" Rowand said through the comm.

"Ah, Rowand. You would not believe how easy it was. Nearly a hundred men and they surrendered so pathetically. How did things go on your end? Do you have their leader Torchwick?"

"Yes, in fact I do. I even managed to meet Ms. Fall."

"Splendid! Please, do tell Torchwick that his loyal grunts are headed to a reeducation camp. They won't be a problem anymore." The comm chirped again, and the signal cut out. Rowand made sure to note that they would soon be getting around a hundred more stormtroopers in the next few months.

"She… There's no way she's talking about my guys, is she?" Roman went pale. "Who was that lady?"

"She's someone like me." Rowand glared at him menacingly. "You're all that's left."

Roman gulped and looked up at Cinder, who was chuckling enthusiastically.

"Haha! This is simply rich! You lost your whole little army while it looks like I'm gaining an ally that's actually capable of getting the job done. But, given my previous plans for you, Roman, this may just be able to make up for your loss."

"Oh yeah? Enlighten me."

"I need someone to be my more… public persona. For now, you will head off to work with that man Junior's mafia and then the White Fang soon after. And given that your whole gang has been disbanded, it only makes sense that you would be looking for work with your fellow crime organizations."

"I don't suppose I'll still be getting paid for this?"

"We can pay you a visit if you don't do what I say." Cinder growled. "You're doing this to make up for crossing me now."

"I would ask what would happen if I refuse…" Roman directed his eyes to the half-circle guard hilt on Rowand's belt. "...but I think I know the answer to that." He paused. "Fine." Roman nodded. "If I get to live, hey, that's a win in my book."

"Excellent. Mercury, Emerald, please get him cleaned up."

"Yes, Ma'am." The two of them rushed to either side of Roman and hauled him up, walking him to the door. Roman angrily mumbled something about being able to walk himself on the way out.

"Now, Rowand. Let's talk. Who exactly are these people you're representing? And who are you exactly?"

"For now, you can call us _"The Midnight Song"_. We have enough foresight to see what you have seen. A war is coming, and we intend to be on the winning side before it begins."

"You want to be on the winning side, eh?" Cinder snickered. "Then you have chosen your ally wisely. Come, let's see what sort of deal we can arrange."

* * *

The docks weren't nearly as uplifting as Ruby had hoped. Kebiin and Blake had been distancing themselves from each other the whole day, and both of them were just as uncomfortable with it. Just when they were getting along, too…

Weiss was the only one genuinely enjoying herself, going on and on about cultures and the upcoming tournament. Even if those by themselves were interesting, the way she put it made it sound like it was being spewed out at a business meeting. Overall, not very good at lifting any spirits.

"Do you have any idea how much planning and preparation goes into these events? So meticulous, so precise! And all this being dedicated to the cultures of the world… ah, it's simply breathtaking!"

"You sure know how to take a cool thing and make it sound boring…" Yang followed up.

"Oh, hush you! All this is a representation of peace. We should be happy regardless!" She took a quick glance at their gloomy teammates. Blake looked at her in response, but Kebiin kept his hands in his pockets. Despite their little spat, Kebiin still wore his scarf. His slightly furrowed brow indicated that he had a little more on his mind than just what was going on right now.

"So how are we holding up?" Yang whispered to Kebiin as they continued on their walk. The others in front of them started to chat, allowing the two of them to talk in a somewhat private manor.

"Fine I guess…" He whimpered, running his fingers across the old baton on his belt.

"Really? You sound a little un-fine."

"How could you tell?" Kebiin asked rhetorically. "The first time I'm able to confide in a living person, and I blow it."

"Confide in a living person? What do you mean?"

"You remember that wind storm a while back? Blake and I showed up to the dorm late?"

"How could I forget? The way the two of you just snuck out like that."

"Hnn." Kebiin snorted. "You've got a rather active imagination."

"What can I say? Runs in the family."

"No it doesn't!" Ruby shouted from up front. "Only Uncle Qrow is like that!"

"Where do you think I get it from?" Yang laughed. Ruby rolled her eyes and kept going forward, going back to her conversation with Blake and Weiss.

"Well, I guess I of all people should know." Kebiin said, tapping his temple.

"True, true." Yang said. "But anyways, what about you and Blake?"

"Right…" Kebiin took a glance at Blake to make sure she wasn't listening. "We talked about our pasts, and I thought we could understand what we were going through. We both ended up leaving lives and people behind, and we both wanted somewhere to belong. I thought she would be the first person I could be that close to. I've never had anyone I could talk to like that in years."

"Was there anyone before? Before you ended up here, I mean."

"Well.." Kebiin paused, rubbing his arm. "I told Blake this already, but… there was my mom."

"Was?"

Kebin nodded "Was."

"I see." Yang's tone changed. She tilted her head downward slightly, narrowing her eyes and trying to keep up a weak smile.

"Well, If you want someone who can understand at least that much, Ruby and I are right here for you. Thats two more you can confide in."

Kebiin tilted his head back up at Ruby, who was smiling and laughing as always. The corner of Kebiin's mouth almost cracked into a light grin, but he exhaled and tilted his head back down.

"So that's why…" He whispered.

"What's why?" Yang asked.

Kebiin opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly stopped in his tracks, eyes wide open.

"What? no… that's… that's impossible… the only ones are me and Jaune…"

"The only ones? Slow down, what's going on?"

"Hey, stop that faunus! He's with the White Fang!" A voice cried from back at the boats.

The five of them snapped their heads back, seeing the figure of a monkey faunus leap off one of the boats and. The very same person who Kebiin had juggled the radio with.

"I ain't with the White Fang!" the faunus called back. "I'm way too good for them!" he shouted as he lept off the railing and onto the main road. Just as he ran across the street, he caught a glimpse of five familiar color-coded faces. The first to catch his eye was the sexy cat faunus in black, and the blue-haired kid he sparred with just a while back. He ran, winked at the group, and continued on his merry way.

Yang looked at Kebiin, expecting him to react to the taunt by starting a chase just like last time. Instead, he swallowed, and ran in the complete opposite direction, to the other side of the bay, surprising the fleeing faunus just as much as his team.

"Where does he think he's going?" Weiss said, hair still flying from the wind generating by Kebiin's sudden dash.

"Yang and I will go find him, you and Blake catch that faunus guy!" Ruby ordered. Yang nodded, and the two of them followed their blue haired teammate, leaving Weiss and Blake behind to follow their orders.

"C'mon, let's get that White Fang scum!" Weiss said determinedly.

" _Scum_?" Blake said, narrowing her eyes at Weiss.

"Yes, that's what he is! He's a faunus, isn't he? Now c'mon, we need to catch up to him!"

Blake gritted her teeth, but followed her teammate in pursuit of the blonde monkey faunus.

* * *

There was no mistaking what Kebiin had sensed. It was another Force sensitive, just like him. This definitely wasn't Jaune, who wasn't even aware of his potential power. This was far more controlled, sinister, and dark in every sense of the word. Even so, Kebiin kept on running to where he had sensed this entity. He didn't care that the faunus who had bested him was escaping, even if he had been brought up on the idea of Mandalorian dignity. Sensing a presence of this precision and power trumped his pride.

Kebiin didn't know how long he had been running, but it didn't feel very long, especially considering the speed he was moving at. In his haste, he turned a corner and *SMACK!*. He ran right into a freckled girl with orange hair. The two of them tumbled onto the ground, rolling several feet and trying to avoid any scrapes or bruises.

"Ahh! Hey, are you- Ow!" Kebiin winced as he stood up. His palm, forearm, and cheek stung when he noticed that they had been grinded against the asphalt, scraping off a layer of skin and exposing a little bit of blood. Bits of dirt and rock had lodged themselves in a few of the cuts.

"Sorry about that. You ok?" Kebiin reached his hand out to help up the girl he had tackled.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking!" The girl sounded genuinely distressed. From her tone, she may as well have run over a kid with a car. She reached up to grab his hand, but he pulled it back the instant she was back up on her feet. His wrist was sprained. It was already red and swollen, and something felt almost out of place. The incredibly sharp pain whenever he moved his hand didn't help either.

"You're injured! Here, I can help." The girl reached into her back pocket to pull out a soft cloth, and began to gently brush the pebbles out of Kebiin's scratches and dabbing blood away. Kebiin winced as the girl cleaned up his scrapes, but quickly moved her hand out of the way.

"I'm sorry, but there's something I have to see just right over there." Kebiin pointed to a large warehouse on the set of docks closest to them, just a few yards off the road and a few meters drop from a railed ledge. Whatever he was sensing resided within there.

"You can't do that!" The girl protested. "Look at your hand." She said as she scanned his arm. With her tending to his wounds, Kebiin was able to get a better look at her. She was a tad scrawny, but she seemed active enough based on how much concentration she was putting into cleaning Kebiin up. She had a pink bow in her short orange hair, and a tight-fitting black collar that covered her whole neck. Her face was dotted with freckles and accented with strikingly bright green eyes, complementing some of the green stripes and lines along her outfit.

Kebiin winced a little more as he let the girl tend to his wounds, but he doubted that she was going to be able to fix him up right on the spot. "Hey, I'm sorry I tackled you like that. You didn't hit your head, did you? I didn't mean it, honestly. So what's your _\- oww!_ " Kebiin yelped as the girl grabbed his wrist to wipe away at his scrapes.

"Your wrist! I'm so sorry…"

"No, no, it's alright. I've been through worse." He smiled at her in the hopes she wouldn't feel guilty. "My name's Kebiin. Yours?"

"My name is Penny. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You don't need to keep apologizing, Penny. It was my fault. You feeling alright?"

"Yes, I'm functioning perfectly fine. It's just that you're the first person I've talked to since I came to Vale, and now you're all hurt… "

"It's no problem, friend. I blame myself, really. But please, I have to see what's in that warehouse, it's impor-" Kebiin's words faded before he could finish them. Whatever what was drawing him into that warehouse suddenly disappeared. It didn't move, it didn't weaken, it just simply faded away. He gritted his teeth and clenched his uninjured arm into a fist, swearing under his breathe. It was almost as if the Force wanted to keep answers away from him. If the Force had a will of its own like he had been taught, did it have desires? Could it really toy with him like this?

Kebiin felt a light tug on his shoulder paired with several muffled voices.

"Kebiin! C'mon, snap out of it, man!" It was Yang.

"Huh?" Kebiin came back to his senses. He never even noticed that he had entered a small trance. Yang was placing a hand on his shoulder, and Ruby was standing next to Penny, noticing how close she was holding his arm. "When did you two get here? Where's Blake and Weiss?"

"Weiss messaged me." Ruby said. "They didn't catch that faunus guy, so they're on their way to meet us here. You doing alright? Your eyes were all glazed over like you were dreaming."

"Have you ever seen him during class? That's just his normal thinking face." Yang said, tapping the side of her head with her finger. "Besides, I'm more concerned with the fact he's got a cute girl Florence Nightingaleing over him. Care to let us in on this one?"

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Penny said sheepishly, letting go of Kebiin. "People don't like it when others cling to them, right?"

"No… It's just… it's gone" Kebiin mumbled.

"What's gone?" Ruby asked.

"I'm not sure exactly. But I could've sworn-"

"There you people are!" Weiss came running down the street, followed by Blake. "Do we need to keep you on a leash, Kebiin! You're not a dog faunus, so don't go running off like that again! And who's this?" She pointed at Penny.

Kebiin looked at Penny, who was blushing from the awkward attention. He tried to reassure her by giving her a light smile.

"This is Penny. Looks like she's a new friend. Penny, these girls are my teammates at Beacon Academy."

"Y-you go to Beacon Academy?!" Penny squealed as she excitedly pulled her arms toward her chest, looking back and forth at Kebiin and the rest of team RWBBY.

"Yup!" Ruby proudly puffed her chest forward. "And I'm the team leader!"

"Wow! That is simply sensational! And all of you are friends? I didn't know people could have so many friends! What are your names?"

"Ruby!'

"Erm… Weiss."

"Blake."

"You… don't go out that much, do you?" Yang said only to be jabbed in the ribs by her sister. "Ow! Oh, right, I'm Yang."

"It's so nice to meet all of you! And, no. Father never lets me go out with strangers. This is my first time in Vale."

"Really? Where are you from?"

"Atlas. It's a lot more strict over there, though, especially with the new council."

"Tell me about it…" Weiss folded her arms.

"So how did the two of you run into each other?" Yang waved her finger between Kebiin and Penny.

"Well… I literally did." Kebiin said, rubbing the back of his hair, slightly embarrassed.

"So you're saying you tackled her? Man, at least get her a drink first."

"Where do you keep getting these ideas?!" Kebiin yelped. Yang's implication seemed to fly right over Penny's head.

"You just make it too easy!" Yang laughed. After her little cackle, Yang opened her eyes back up and her attention was drawn to Kebiin's abnormally purple wrist. Dude, your hand! What'd you do to jack that thing up?" Yang said, border-line over exaggerating her surprise.

"This?" Kebiin raised his arm and winced when the sharp pain shot back up his arm. "Got this when I umm... tackled Penny."

"So you admit it!"

"Yang!" Ruby tried to scold her sister.

"What? This proves me right!"

"I think you're forgetting that Blue Boy's wrist is actually turning blue!"

"Here, we can talk about this on our way to the nurse. But really, I think we need to talk about that faunus riff-raff that slipped through our fingers." Weiss said as though it were now her mission.

'What about him?" Blake spoke up.

"Did you hear that man yell earlier? He said he was part of the White Fang!"

"Yeah, but that faunus said he wasn't."

"You can't trust the faunus though!" Weiss argued. The fact is that the faunus are a dirty, untrustworthy lot."

The air went still. Blake's knuckles had already turned white, and her body was just barely resisting the urge to hit Weiss. Everyone in their group could feel the tension between the two, even if Blake had yet to speak her mind. Penny was the first to disrupt the silence.

"I don't think that was very kind of you, Weiss. Considering that-"

Blake's eyes widened, bracing herself for what she suspected Penny was about to say. Fortunately, Kebiin interrupted her loudly enough to get her to stop talking.

"Hey! Blake, my hand reeaaally hurts. Can you help me get back to the school's med room? The others can check out the Vytal preps without us."

Blake took an unrelaxed breath and silently nodded in agreement. With her head still tilted down, she walked next to and right pass Kebiin, leading the way back to Beacon without saying a word. Ruby and Yang nodded, tugging on Weiss's sleeve to head the opposite direction.

"Nice meeting you, Penny. Hope we can meet up again soon." Kebiin waved with his good hand as they left the scene. The two parties split, and Penny was left wondering what had just happened.

* * *

Blake sat down next to Kebiin as the school nurse wrapped a cast around his wrist and applied rubbing alcohol to his cuts. He didn't seemed too phased by the stinging of the alcohol, but he looked more impatient than anything else. The nurse finished cleaning him up, and waved a finger at him scolding that he should be more careful in the future. He gave the obligatory "yes, Ma'am" and was left alone in the room with Blake.

"How are you holding up?" Kebiin said to his agitated teammate.

Blake had been rapidly tapping her heel on the ground and snorting rather frequently ever since they arrived, still thinking about how she was going to tell Weiss off when she would run into her next. "I'm fine…" she said in an obviously not-fine tone.

"You don't sound like it."

"Well, how else do you expect me to react!?" She snapped. "I should've figured Weiss was just an ignorant brat just like the rest of her family…"

"Weiss is your teammate. You need to get along either way. Why are you so defensive about the faunus?"

"Because-" She stopped herself. She tilted her gaze down to the floor and clenched her fists against her thighs. "How can I not be? Just because I'm human doesn't mean I have to hate an entire people. That's something Weiss still needs to figure out..."

"Then fix that! Make her realize she's wrong."

"I've already tried yelling at her. What else can I do?"

"You can do something the rest of us can't. Make it personal for her. Give her a reason to-"

"Make it personal? How? She's just a snobby little girl who thinks she's better because she never had to fight for her rights!"

The room went quiet. Blake was standing up now, fists still clenched and leaning over Kebiin. He inspected the brace around his wrist and squeezed it. He didn't respond at first, letting Blake's last statement linger on.

"Blake, I…" He trailed off.

"You what? You know how to turn a racist into a loving person? It doesn't work like that."

"No, I… _Ni kar'taylir_ …" He whispered.

There it was again. Kebiin's mysterious language. Blake's ears twitched, trying to pick up on what he had said. He was looking down, averting eye contact. His fingers wrapped around his sheets tighter.

"What?"

"Promise me you won't freak out, ok? I'm only asking you this because I want to help."

"I won't. What is it?"

He glanced at the cat ears concealed under her bow. He looked her dead in the eye, trying to find a balance between confidence and shakiness.

"Will you tell the others who you are if I tell you what I am?"

The color drained from Blake's face even before she could provide cover for herself. "H-how did you… I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Blake, I knew what you were the moment I saw you. You don't have to hide."

She knew she wouldn't be able to convince him of her being human. Afterall, the kid could read minds. There was no way to wriggle out of this one.

"How did you know?" She asked quietly. "Did you read my mind then, too?"

"No, of course not." Kebiin reassured. "I like to think I'm not that shallow. Faunus just have a different… feel about them than humans. I sensed it whether I wanted to or not."

"You "sensed" what I am? Huh. Guess I shouldn't be surprised by your wide arrange of powers by this point." Blake let out a hopeless sounding chuckle. "What else do you know?"

"From the story you told me, and knowing you're a faunus, I figured you meant the White Fang. The only detail I really know about is Adam's name."

"That's it? You can read minds! You could find out whatever you wanted from any of us if you felt like it."

"No, I really can't. I can only see glimpses. I don't know how to do anything more than that. And you're my teammate. I wouldn't be able to bring myself to do something like that to you."

Blake brought herself to look back up at him. The sincerity in his voice was crystal clear. The warm inventiveness on his face only reinforced that. He wore the look of someone who could truly understand her pain. The seemingly lax but forced smile, the stern look in his eyes, it was all there. Adam looked just like that back in the day…

"So." Kebiin said. "Will you tell them? As their friend?"

"You still need to stick to your promise." She noted. "What's your big secret?"

She was right. Kebiin did say he would tell her where he came from. Maybe he hoped she would forget in the middle of the conversation, but that was futile and perhaps even a bit hypocritical. Kebiin shifted his legs so they dangled right off the edge of his bed, facing Blake directly.

"There's a small cube in my pack. Could you grab it for me please?"

Blake look a little confused, but she did so. She inspected the ornate designs on the blue and golden cube before holding it to Kebiin. Instead of grabbing it with his hands, he closed his eyes and levitated it toward him and above his lap. He focused the Force inward on the holocron, turning the corners and letting them float away to orbit around the room. When he opened his eyes, Revan's small glowing masked figure stood as he always did. Blake's jaw hung open just a little in surprise, wondering what she was even looking at.

"Kebiin, what is-"

"I believe _I_ should be asking that question, quite frankly." Blake jumped onto her feet the moment Revan spoke. "Who is this girl? What happened to your wrist?"

"Trust me Master, you don't need to be too concerned right now."

"Your mother tasked me with keeping you safe and learned. I'd be doing something wrong if I wasn't concerned about you."

"Kebiin, what the hell is that!?" Blake yelped shockingly.

"Wait, I thought you guys had holograms?"

"Not ones that can fit in your pocket! Who is this guy, anyways?"

"Well, he's umm… How do I explain this…"

"My name is Revan." He took over. "I'm an AI tasked with giving knowledge to whoever activated this holocron. In this case, I'm Kebiin's teacher. However, I thought he was going to lay low and keep me out of sight like I taught him…" Revan turned his head over to Kebiin.

"Revan, I can't keep going on like this. I have friends, a team, a new life! At least a few of them deserve to know."

Revan turned to Blake, who was still in shock seeing this whole conversation go down. "Do you trust her?" He turned back to Kebiin.

"Yes. I do."

"Then I will trust your judgment. What is it you need?"

"A map... of home."

Revan's image faded away, and a new image spanning the whole room replaced him. Several lines emitting from the main body of the holocron spread out to the different pieces floating in the room, forming what looked like coordinates. Then, an image of a spiral galaxy flickered into life, taking up most of the space in the room, which was now glowing a faint blue from the light of the virtual galaxy. Blake stood up, looking up at the images in wonder, occasionally batting her hand out at the holograms.

"Woah… this is… it's amazing…"

"Like I said, it's a map. Granted, this map is almost four thousand years old." Kebiin said.

"Four thousand years? Nothing like this ever existed that long ago!"

"Not on Remnant, no."

Blake tried to speak up, but Kebiin did so first. He reached his hand up, and pointed to a small, indistinguishable star on the edge of one of the galactic arms.

"This is it." He said. "Planet Ceibur, in the next galaxy over, just bordering the Outer Rim. It's not much, but… it's home."

Blake was caught between a state of shock, confusion, disbelief. She looked at the different stars surrounding her, unable to find the constellations that should've showed in Remnant's night sky.

"This has got to be a joke, right? You, an alien? That's not possible! You look so human!"

"That's what I thought when I first saw the people on this world. My mom sent me here for a reason, and I think you and I looking the same species was part of it."

"The same species? This doesn't make any sense. There isn't even any proof of life on other planets, so how can... " She trailed off. "Wait, your mom?"

Kebiin nodded. "I'm a little… complicated even for my galaxy."

"Complicated? I'd say that the fact you keep saying you're from another galaxy is complicated enough already. You don't even have any proof."

"Can you please just hear me out?" Kebiin said as he walked to his pack, taking out his lightsaber and holodisc, leaving the E-11 blaster inside. "It's not too crazy, I promise. Both of us lied to each other to better fit our situations that night we snuck out."

It took a minute for Blake to make up her mind, but in the end, she took her seat again and nodded.

"My dad was something called a Mandalorian. They're warriors, always seeking the challenge of a good fight, and the glory of battle. The galaxy doesn't really view them fondly. Him and his clan was where I was raised for most of my life. It's where I learned to fight, to pilot ships, survive, and where I learned my language."

"So you're one of these "Mandalorians"?"

"My clan would say yes, but…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "My mom was something called a "Jedi". For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice throughout the whole galaxy. But that was during the reign of the old Republic.

Questions were bombarding Blake's mind left and right. His story was insane, but he sounded and looked so sincere. He was going through a whole lot of trouble explaining this to her, but there was always a chance he was telling the truth.

"Slow down." Blake said, crossing her legs and putting a hand out. "There's the Jedi, the Mandalorians, and the Republic? Who are they?"

"Right, sorry..." Kebiin let out a long sigh. "The Galactic Republic ruled the whole galaxy, and the Jedi were its guardians. They used their special powers to uphold peace and justice wherever and whenever they could."

"Powers? Do people in your galaxy have Semblances?"

Kebiin shook his head. "In my galaxy, there's something the Jedi call "the Force". It's an energy field created by all living things that surrounds us and binds everything together. People like my mom, and I are called 'Force-sensitives.' The Force gives us incredible powers, like telekinesis, telepathy, physical strengthening-there's endless possibilities. But there's also a spiritual side. It speaks to you, guides your actions, but also obeys your commands. It's an entity you can trust."

Blake nodded. So, that was how he was able to speed towards Cardin, leap whole buildings, and read minds. Still, she had more questions. "Does that mean this Force some sort of god? Are the Jedi a religion?"

"No, not really. The Force simply is what it is. The Jedi are the ones that make the code and learn how to wield it for good." Kebiin looked to the holocron. "Revan was programmed to teach me about the Force, so I could protect myself."

"From who?" Blake asked.

"The Empire..." Kebiin clenched his fist, driving his nails into his palm. He gritted his teeth, and any object that wasn't bolted to the ground either shook or levitated into the air. The air grew cold and dry, seeming to tingle with electricity. Blake felt her stomach sink as she shrunk into her chair. The light had even seemed to dim, and there was a low rumbling sound ringing throughout the room.

"Kebiin, what's going on? What's happening?"

Kebiin snapped out of whatever anger-induced trance he was in and widened his eyes, taking a shaky breath. He collapsed onto his knees, dropping the items he held in his hand and placing his palms over his eyes. The floating objects fell back to the ground, and the holocron shut off as it bounced against the floor.

"Kebiin!" Blake rushed over to frantically check on her teammate. "What happened? What was that? Are you alright?"

"Blake, I'm so sorry… I didn't mean… The Empire, I just-"

The door flung open as the nurse ran back into the room. "What was that? Are you two doing okay in here?" She looked down to see Blake holding Kebiin in her arms, both of them looking up, somewhat embarrassed.

"Yeah, yeah, we're okay…" Kebiin said. "Wrist is all good. I just tripped."

"Right…" The nurse said as she shut the door. "Stay safe, you two." The door closed, and they heard the nurse's footsteps wander away down the hall. Blake let Kebiin go, and he stood back up on his feet, leaning against his bed.

"Really though, are you alright?" She asked concerningly.

"I'm fine." Kebiin said. "Stuff like that happens when you can't control the Force." He took a deep breath. "I've got a long ways to go, huh, Revan?" He said to the now inactive holocron.

"So what's "The Empire"? Who are they? Why do they make you so angry?"

"The Empire rose up after the Republic fell from what was called "The Clone Wars". They were the ones who wiped out the Jedi. They killed almost all of them, and then took over nearly the whole galaxy."

"They killed all of the Jedi? How many were there?"

"I'm not sure. Ten thousand, maybe even more? They didn't even spare the younglings… Then again, the Empire is perfectly fine with murder…" He gritted his teeth.

"My god…" Blake but her hand over her mouth when she gasped. "Why did they need to kill them all? So many people…"

"Because the Jedi would've stopped them."

"But how did they even manage it? The Jedi could use the Force, right? Isn't the Empire just made up of regular people?"

"No… not entirely. The Jedi were betrayed by one of their own, and their most powerful members were too spread out in different star systems during the Clone War. Those out in the galaxy were all killed in surprise attacks, and over at the main temple… my mom was there. She said that the Jedi Knight who betrayed them led the army that finished off everyone who was there. There weren't any more fighters to protect them, and they were hopelessly outnumbered. She never really did talk about it much. I don't blame her… it's not easy talking about the genocide of an entire culture".

"I see… So what happened to your mom?"

"Well, she survived. She ended up being captured and had to work for the Empire but deserted after a few years. She ran into Clan Ceibur, met my dad, and then after a while, I was born."

"So how did you end up here?"

Kebiin paused for a moment. He was never able to think of this event without growing angry, afraid, or sad. But he had to tell Blake. He had come this far. He regained his composure, and continued on the best he could.

"The Empire found us. They attacked with star fighters and elite troops while we slept. Only a few of us had weapons or armor on, and we were outnumbered. My dad… he threw himself over me when a fighter dropped proton torpedo. He… he shielded me from the blast, but…"

Kebiin's eyes watered up. He could hear the roar of the TIEs overhead as the camp was sent up in flames, the crunch of stormtrooper boots on the ground as they gunned down his family, and he could still smell the charred scent of his father's plasma burnt body. The smell that was forever burned into his memory. Even still, he had to continue.

"My mother and I escaped, and she took me to the Empire's capital world where she said there was a ship that could get us away from the Empire. We snuck our way into the imperial base, but they were already waiting for us. I managed to escape, but only because my mom held them off." His voice cracked and he swallowed so he could keep going. Blake tried to speak, but Kebiin continued before she had the chance. "I was on that ship for two months, traveling farther and farther away from home. My mom snuck Revan's holocron in my pack so I could have someone to learn from and talk to. We crashed on Remnant a few years ago, and here I am."

Blake was awestruck. His story was so outlandish, straight out of a novel. There was no way it could be true. And yet, the sincerity Kebiin spoke with, and the emotions those memories conjured up had to have some truth to them. Why would he have to go to all this trouble to tell such a ridiculous story unless it was true? Not to mention, that hologram and map clearly weren't made on Remnant.

"Kebiin…" Blake tightened her grip on his hand. "I'm so sorry…"

Kebiin sniffed and wiped his reddening eyes. "No, I really should be the one apologizing here. I made you sit through my whole life story and it's not even believable. Pretty crazy, right?"

"No… I believe you." She pulled him in for a hug.

Kebiin was dumbstruck. She… she actually believed him? After all these years, he was finally able to confide in a living person. He hugged her back, and levitated his lightsaber and holodisc back to his pack with his mind while still embracing his friend. Looks like he wouldn't need them to prove where he was from.

"So… what happened next? About the Empire, I mean. Are they still around?"

"I don't know." Kebiin said. He diverted his eyes to the floor for a moment and let out another deep sigh. "I just hope that they're far, far away…"

* * *

The two of them spent the next few minutes picking up the clutter that Kebiin had set flying around the room, tidying things up so the nurses wouldn't get angry. Kebiin placed all his belongings in his pack, checked up on his wrist one last time, and walked out the door with Blake.

"So will you tell them?" Kebiin asked Blake as they walked back to their dorm.

"I will…" She squeezed her arm. "A deal's a deal, right?"

"A deal's a deal."

"What about you? Will you tell them?"

Kebiin thought for a moment. "Not now. Maybe after a little more time has passed. Two big revelations in one night would be a bit much for them, don't you think?"

"I guess you're right." She agreed.

Once they arrived at their door, the voices of their other teammates could be heard on the other side. Blake put her hand on the doorknob, taking a deep breath. Kebiin put his hand on her shoulder, reassuring her of what she was about to do. They opened the door, and sure enough, Ruby, Weiss, and Yang stopped their conversations as the two of them entered.

"Everyone." Blake began. "I have something I need to tell you all." She glanced at Weiss for a second or two longer than the others. "I've been keeping this a secret for a long time, but I think it's about time you learned what I really am."

"Secret? Hiding what you really are? What are you talking about?" Yang asked.

Without speaking, Blake took her shaky hand and reached up at the black bow on top of her head. She pulled on a loose ribbon, and the whole bow unraveled, revealing her dark feline ears. She closed her eyes, letting everyone else take the time to realize what she was.

"Blake, you're… you're a faunus?" Weiss gasped.

"Yes… I am."

"So that whole time we were arguing it was because…"

Blake nodded. "Mhmm. They're my people, Weiss. I can't let discrimination like that happen."

"Blake…" Yang said, not knowing how to react.

"I think they're actually kind of cute." Ruby said meekly. "The ears, I mean."

"I…" Weiss swallowed. "Fine. I apologize." Her pale face began to redden. "I'm sorry about what I said about the faunus. As long as you have nothing to do with the White Fang, I don't care if you're a faunus."

Blakes brief smile of relief quickly faded, being replaced by a look of dread.

"Weiss… I… I…"

"You what?'

"I used to be a member of the White Fang. I left so I could come here, make a real-"

"The White Fang!? Do you have any idea about what they've done to my family? The family friends and board members I've seen disappear? The Dust that has been stolen and used to hurt so many people?"

Kebiin winced when he help a sharp pain deep in his forehead. No one else noticed, too fixated by Weiss's sudden shift of mood. The hatred she held inside was surfacing.

"Weiss, please, I'm trying to say I'm not-"

"No! You don't know what it was like!"

"Weiss…" Blake's voice was shaky from tears.

"Every night, my father came home furious, always ranting and raging about those thieves and murderers… They've killed our friends, families, employees… He was so busy hating you, he never even reached out to me and Winter…"

Kebiin tried to interrupt, still holding his palm against his head. "Weiss, not now. She's trying to explain everything. You can't just-"

"Yes I can!" She snapped. "You mean to tell me, that my teammate-my friend-, was part of the organization that kept my father out of my sister and I's reach for all these years? Do you know how difficult they made life for us? I didn't think he even noticed us until he sent me to this backwater kingdom only to run into a primitive animal such as you!"

Weiss finished her outburst, muscles still tightened and teeth still clenched. Blake still stood in front of her, staring at the ground. Weiss's face and body relaxed, eyes widening once she realized what she had turned this moment into. Blake had come here to pour her heart out, and here she was, blaming her for all of her childhood loneliness.

"No, Blake, I didn't… That's not what I-"

A gust of wind blew through the whole room, sending everyone's hair to fly in front of their faces and causing any fabric in the room to float away. Blake was nowhere to be seen. She had darted away to who knows where right in front of their eyes at a speed that matched Ruby's Semblance. Tears streamed down Weiss's face, realizing she had driven away one of the only close friends she still had in her life.


	12. Chapter 12

Blake's tears were becoming indistinguishable from the pelting rain. How long had she been running now? The city lights were fading out of view, devolving into a faint yellow glow against the mass of falling rain drops. Her boots were beginning to meet with mud and grass rather than the the urban concrete. She looked onward beyond the city, into the woods. Was she going to take this all the way? They wouldn't be able to find her if she left the city as a whole. Besides, she was an ex-member of the White Fang. She knew how to traverse the woods.

The clouds parted ever so slightly out in the distance. Behind the gray clouds was a barely visible sheet of inky black, only made noticeable by the little points of starlight stuck against it.

 _"Is that really where Kebiin is from?"_ She thought to herself. _"Do I really believe him? If I could accept him being from up there, why couldn't they just listen to me? Why couldn't Weiss understand?"_

The clouds closed in and veiled the small patch of night sky, blocking Blake's view. She looked down at the black bow still clutched in her fist, and slowly opened it.

"No…" She whispered. She had to make things right. Even if she had been living a lie, even if Weiss had turned on her, she refused to be a coward any longer. If Kebiin could come out to her with his story, then she should be able to tell her team hers. She tilted her palm to the ground, and let the little piece of black fabric fall to the ground.

She rotated on her heel and was about to walk back toward the city, eager to get out of the rain. But at that second, her ears twitched. Something shrill ran through her body, her animal instincts alerting her of a possible threat. But it wasn't just her own survivalist senses kicking in. Someone was in danger, deeper in the forest. She patted her wet clothing down to check if she had her scroll to call for backup. No such luck. She left any communication device she had back at Beacon, and if her senses were right, whoever was in trouble didn't have enough time for her to run for help and back. She needed to investigate on her own.

Blake continued to weave her way through the woods, using her acute senses to their fullest to track down the source of distress. Even though the heavy rain would have impaired a human's vision and hearing, a faunus knew how to work around these things.

As she drew closer to her destination, Blake skidded to a halt. A sharp noise was piercing right through the thumping rain and drawing closer and closer. It didn't sound like any animal Blake had heard before, but it was definitely coming from the sky. Some sort of howling?

The sound grew louder and louder, forcing Blake to cover her ears. She felt a sudden gust of wind, knocking her off her feet. When she looked up, a large and dark H-shaped object was soaring right over her head. This was by no means an animal or Grimm. It was a machine. Blake hauled herself up and ran toward the same direction as the flying craft. Whether by coincidence or luck, it seemed to be flying to where she was originally trying to get to.

She followed it until until she came to the edge of a cliff, forcing her to stop in her tracks while the howling craft flew down into the valley below. Blake followed the path of the craft with her eyes until it faded from view. She looked down at the drop below her, spotting a large encampment outfitted with steel railings, platforms, buildings, and watch towers. It resembled a military camp established by one of the kingdoms, but the size of the zone, guards, and vehicles were like nothing Blake had ever seen before. Soldiers clad in white armor patrolled the area, completely unfazed by the extreme downpour. Aircraft identical to the one Blake saw were docked all along various landing pads, along with other strange looking ships and tall odd bipedal machines Blake hesitated to call tanks or mechs.

She crouched and slid her way down the cliff, trying to get a closer look at the sight. As she snuck her way closer to the complex, that eerie roaring noise could be heard again. She looked up, and saw two more H-shaped craft, both on either side of a larger aircraft with one large wing protruding from the top, and two other wings pointed toward the bottom. All three craft landed, the two downward wings on the middle craft folding upward in a rested position. The troops in white armor rushed to the larger craft, positioning themselves in front to create a corridor of people. A rectangular hatch opened under the beak like cockpit, creating an authoritative staccato hissing sound as steam was expelled.

Blake heard footsteps coming from inside the vessel, but turned her head when she heard a door to one of the bunkers open. Two soldiers were hauling someone by their arms, dragging his feet across the ground to the craft. It was the same blonde and muscular monkey faunus Blake and her team had encountered. He was beaten, cut up, and obviously disoriented.

A female figure clad in a black armored tunic stepped from the craft, her hooded black helmet breaking through the steam as she brushed it away with a large maroon shoulder cape on her right arm. She approached the boy, wisps of steam still releasing off of her near serpentine frame. The soldiers dropped him on the ground, and turned to point their exotic firearms at him. The shadowy woman bent down onto one knee, and raised the boy's chin up with the slender fingers of her left hand.

"...So who talks first?" The boy stammered. "You talk first, I talk first?"

The woman backhanded him across the face, sending him straight to the ground. Blood seeped from where the skin on his cheek split.

"I talk first, animal."

Before the boy could bring himself up, the woman walked around his body and extended her left arm outwards. A low rumbling filled the air as Blake felt a bitter cold blow it's way through her body. The boy was lifted from the ground like a demonic puppet, his head rising to meet the hand of the dark figure. She grabbed a tuft of his hair from behind and yanked his head back to expose his throat.

"Listen…" The woman said in a metallic filtered voice. "You have two options. You can let me have my fun with you, or you can save yourself by telling me where you hid that crystal you stole from us."

"Have fun, huh?" The boy grimaced. "You don't seem to be the type of person to play nice."

The woman chuckled, and reached down to her belt to pull out a metal baton encased in what looked like a half ring guard. A glowing red blade expelled from the hilt, just barely a centimeter away from the boy's jugular. The whistling beam began to sizzle as the woman brought the white core of the blade to brush against her victim's neck, burning and blistering it as he refused to scream.

Blake didn't need to see any more. She had to rescue this boy. She stood up, raised _Gambol Shroud_ , and fired a volley at the dark woman. The figure raised her arm, and Blake's bullets froze in mid-air. The soldiers fired glowing red bolts on Blake's position, only to find themselves shooting an afterimage. The troops looked back at the boy on the ground, only to see Blake carrying him in her arms and fleeing the scene.

"Don't worry, I've got you!" Blake said to the boy as she ran. Now that he was in her arms, she was finally able to see all of the other injuries he had sustained. Several ribs looked broken, he had bruises and cuts all over his arms, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"You…" He coughed up. "You were with the blue haired kid..."

"Yeah, I was. Hold on, I'm going to get you out of-"

Blake felt a violent tug on her body before she was able to get out of the encampments view. She had a clear shot back into the forest, but she felt as though she had just run into an ethereal wall. A slight back and forth tug in gravity caused her body to quiver, but she was frozen on the spot. The faunus boy fell out of her stiff arms and shook her shoulders, trying to get a response.

"You tried to run away?" The female metallic voice said from behind. "And here I thought we were getting along well."

Blake darted her eyes down to _Gambol Shroud_. The boy nodded and unclipped the weapon from her belt, drawing it on and firing it at the black-clad woman. Rather than dodge the oncoming hail of bullets, the figure reignited her weapon, this time with two blades protruding on either end as the half ring unfolding into a full circle. The blades began to rotate on the guard like a track, creating a flashing shield that disintegrated the bullets on impact. _Gambol Shroud's_ clip emptied, and flew out of the boy's hands and into the palm of the dark figure.

"Is this yours?" She said as she inspected the weapon as she put away her own. "It's mediocre, but charming in it's own little way."

The boy tried to lunge at her, but without even looking, she extended her right arm, sending her cape upwards and revealing an entirely chrome limb. A cybernetic replacement. The boy froze on the spot just like Blake, quivering but unable to truly move.

"Come to think of it, I don't know your names." The woman purred. "How about the three of us get to know each other better since you were so eager to join us tonight, kitten?"

Blake tried to bare her teeth at the woman, but the most she could do was furrow her brow slightly.

"My name is Nyxona. And you are…" She rested her chrome arm in front of the boy's forehead, and leaned her helmeted face forward. Blake began to see his stomach and chest convulsing. He did his best to shut his eyes and shake his head, creating violent, almost unnatural motions as he desperately tried to escape Nyxona. When she released her grip, he was drenched in sweat and breathing erratically.

"Sun Wukong." Nyxona said satisfactorly. She stalked her way over to Blake, and once again held up her metal arm at Blake's face. She felt a cramped burning sensation begin in her chest, which quickly spread through her body and slowly crawled its way up into her head. She couldn't help but try to escape, tightening her muscles in failed attempts to run. She felt thousands of scalding needle like hands dig their way into her mind, ripping out whatever they wanted. When the pain finally stopped, she knew what had been taken.

"Blake Belladonna." Nyxona giggled. "I remember now… You were with our lost little Mandalorian mutt at the docks… I'm looking forward to getting to know you, Blake."

Mandalorian? That's what Kebiin said he was… but the only person he ever told that to was Blake. No, there was no way this was possible. This woman, Nyxona, she… was she from Kebiin's galaxy?

Nyxona tilted her head back when she heard the crunching of boots approaching their location. Several men in white armor came into view, snapping to attention once they caught up to Nyxona.

"Stormtroopers." She nodded.

"Inquisitor!" One of the troops said. "What would you have us do with the prisoners?"

"Nothing, yet." She walked back over to Sun. She bent down onto one knee, and grabbed his cheeks with her silver skeletal fingers.

"The crystal. The one that belonged to my colleague. Where did you hide it?"

Sun gave her a cocky grin, doing his best to show a lack of intimidation. "I broke it."

Nyxona's head bobbed backwards out of surprise, but eventually shook her head and let out a humored snort.

"Fool. Did you even know what that thing was?"

"I don't need to." Sun spat. "That thing… it wasn't right. When I touched it, I saw what was inside. I'm not letting you have the info that was on that thing!"

"Don't lie to me. You don't simply "break" a Kyber crystal. Especially the one you foolishly took. But that is of no matter. The crystal showed you a glimpse of its memory. Maybe if I look hard enough, you can show me what you saw."

"Forget it!" Sun growled. "I'd rather die than let a witch like you take anything from me!"

"No, you're going to die after." Nyxona said matter-of-factly.

"And you…" Nyxona raised her arm, and Blake was levitated off the ground, feeling her neck being pulled upwards by invisible fingers. "You're going to tell me everything you know about the Mandalorian child."

Blake tightened her jaw and stared into Nyxona's faceless mask, looking at her fierce reflection in the large visor. "I won't let you hurt my friends!" She mustered up.

"It's not a matter of choice, Blake." Nyxona laughed. "Stormtroopers!" Nyxona commanded.

"Yes, Inquisitor?" They perked up.

"I don't think our guests will be needing the use of their legs for the time being. Bring Sun and Blake to my Lambda after you're finished." Nyxona folded her cape back over her arm, and levitated Gambol Shroud back into her natural hand. As she walked away, she tightened her fist, and the weapon crumpled into a misshapen mass of metal as it hovered over her hand.

Blake watched helplessly as the stormtroopers began to senselessly beat Sun with the butt of their rifles, snapping his bones and ignoring his cries of pain. She saw some of the white armored men approach her unmoving frame, and closed her eyes in anticipation of the same beating the faunus boy next to her was receiving.

* * *

Kebiin woke up from another restless and guilt filled night. Blake had been missing for over a week now, and in his eyes, it was his fault. Afterall, it was him who convinced her to reveal her origins. If he had just shut up and decided it was best to keep it all to themselves, things would have continued on as normal. An admittedly selfish part of him wanted to blame Weiss since it was technically her words that drove her away, but he felt conflicted about displaying anger or contempt at her. In all honesty, Weiss was devastated. She skipped meals, talked to her teammates very little, and did everything in her power to avoid Kebiin without physically separating herself from the group. She knew that he was only trying to help Blake by letting her confess, and she had turned that on them and did something malicious. However, he still felt more than frustrated with her, something that Ruby and Yang were well aware of.

He glanced up at the clock. 3:43 am. He woke up too early again. Without sitting up or looking, he used the Force to open his pack that was propped up against the foot of his bed, and levitated his father's white and bronze Mandalorian helmet to his hands.

" _Ni linibar at atiniir, staabi Buir?"_ He whispered to the helmet. "Just like you always said, Dad. I gotta tough it out and stick it through. _Atiniir_."

Kebiin looked over to the folded weapon sticking out of his pack next to his lightsaber. Naming one's weapon was a common tradition on Remnant, and the Mando'a word meaning "to endure" seemed appropriate enough. Besides, being surrounded by weapons called things like "Crescent Rose" and "Ember Celica" made calling it "his weapon" sound dull in comparison.

" _Atiniir…"_ He said once more, both as a small naming ceremony and as a command to himself. He exhaled, sat up, and placed the helmet on his nightstand, making a noticeable _*thunk*_ when the heavy metal made contact with the wood.

Kebiin looked over at the clock in the room, despite checking it mere moments ago. He didn't feel like he was going to fall back asleep any time soon. He hauled himself out of his sheets, put on a regular pair of jeans, a black turtleneck, and an oriental-style brown obi and tabards set Ren loaned him since he never used it with his gi. Kebiin looked at himself in the mirror that was leaned against the wall, inspecting how the Jedi-like obi and tabards looked on him. He Forced his lightsaber to him and clipped it on his belt, checking out his attempts at fashion. He yanked on the ends of the tabards to straighten them out, careful not to make them fall off of his shoulders. The obi belt wrap seemed enough to keep them in place, however.

He twirled in place a few more times in front of the mirror, wondering if this is what a Jedi actually would have dressed like. He figured it probably would have looked more official if he actually had a real under robe or clone war armor underneath instead of a turtle neck, but he decided it looked Jedily enough.

"Heading out?" He heard a voice whisper. It was Weiss. "It's a little early, don't you think?"

"Now you talk to me…" Kebiin groaned. Rather than turn to face her, he settled for just looking at her reflection in the mirror.

Weiss didn't respond directly to the remark, but instead continued with trying to go on with a normal subject.

"I like the outfit." She complimented weakly. She wasn't going to try and make things up by complimenting his clothes, was she?

"People in my mom's old village used to wear this type of thing." Kebiin said as he adjusted the obi. "I just didn't get a chance to actually wear one myself. And yes, I was planning to head out."

"Were you going to look for her again? If you want, I could-"

"I'm just going on a walk." He interrupted sharply. "I don't need your help to do that much." Kebiin raised the volume of his voice slightly. He saw Weiss swallow in the mirror, trying to keep her eyes from watering up.

"Kebiin…" Weiss started, removing her blanket and sitting on the edge of her bed in her nightgown. "I never meant to… Look, I know what I did wasn't smart of me, but-"

" _K'uur,_ I said I'm just going for a walk. We can figure it all out when we actually find Blake, but right now, I just want to clear my head. You can stay in bed if you want." Kebiin wrapped his blue hooded scarf around his neck and grabbed Revan's holocron along _Atiniir_ on his way out the door, not giving Weiss any room to reply.

He walked down the hall, at first satisfied that he had told Weiss off, but quickly realized how much of an ass he just acted like. He put his palm against his forehead and grunted in frustration. He figured he should apologize to her when he would get back, but as was the trend with the past week, another part of him wanted to keep their exchanges at a minimum.

It was still a little dark when Kebiin made his way into the school's large courtyard, but the orange glow of the sun was starting to make its way over the horizon. The morning fog was still plenty thick, and a visible amount of steam escaped Kebiin's mouth whenever he exhaled. He arrived at the statue just in front of the main gate of the academy, retracing the steps he and Blake took on their midnight stroll. He looked back up at the two figures the statue depicted. A man and a woman, Hunter and Huntress, standing triumphant over a Grimm. The stone figures dwarfed Kebiin in comparison, but he figured that was the point of the design. Not imposing or intimidating, but something to aspire to. Something that symbolized Humanity's and Faunus' triumph over the forces of Grimm. He hoped that would apply to him some day.

Kebiin let out a long sigh in an attempt to sooth his mind. He was feeling too much fear and anger this week, and it didn't help that most of that building anger was directed at Weiss. He couldn't allow himself to succumb to these emotions since it could not only lead to the Dark Side, but attract Grimm as well. But then again, wasn't he justified in his anger? Revan stood for balance, so didn't that mean a little bit of both Light and Dark? How bad could it really be?

"No…" Kebiin shook his head. "You're the last hope for the Jedi. This is what Mom wanted. You have to stay on the Light."

Kebiin frowned and glanced at the pavement. "I really have to do it, huh?" He redundantly asked the planet. "Train a new generation of Jedi… Will you even let me?"

It was true the planet was in a rather odd state of flux. When he arrived on Remnant, Kebiin couldn't even feel the Force. He felt sick just living here. Now what? He was able to meditate somewhat, fight a horde of Grimm, and live perfectly healthy. The planet was being caught in a spiritual struggle, and Kebiin had no idea why. And now… now he wasn't the only Force sensitive. Future Jedi were a possibility. Jaune...

"Hey, Kebiin! What are you doing out this early?" Speak of the devil.

"Jaune? I didn't take you for an early bird."

Jaune came jogging down in his white hoodie with a pair of earbuds sticking out of his pocket. His forehead was sweaty and he was breathing a little heavier than usual, signaling that he had been jogging.

"I'm not." He responded. "I've just been feeling really… alive as of late. Is there any new word on Blake?"

Kebiin bit down on his lip. "No…" He said gloomily. "Nothing new at all."

"I see… I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry, we'll find her." Kebiin tried to reassure Jaune as much as himself. He thought he would have been able to sense her presence, but over a week of turning Vale upside down yielded no results.

"How's the rest of the team holding up? Is Weiss doing alright?"

Kebiin gritted his teeth and crossed his arms in frustration.

" _Cuyi ibac bid?"_

Jaune removed his earbuds and scratched his head. "Huh?"

"Oh, sorry! My mind just wanders off to my first language a lot…" Kebiin was telling the truth in that department, but that's not what he wanted to talk about now that Jaune was outside with him.

"I've noticed." Jaune said as he approached closer to him. "Ruby says you talk in your sleep a lot. I think her exact words were _"If he keeps this up, I'm going to be bilingual by the end of the year.""_

"My dreams have been a little… intense lately. I can't really help it."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Jaune said genuinely. "I've been getting some pretty crazy dreams too. It's kinda funny really."

"Really? How so?"

"I know this is really strange, but ever since that trip we took to Forever Falls, I've been feeling so alive. Like, I feel more awake and aware than ever before, and I haven't been feeling sick at all. But at the same time, I started to get these really weird dreams."

Kebiin's eyes widened slightly and his mouth opened just a tad when he heard Jaune's explanation. If Kebiin had any doubts regarding Jaune's Force Sensitivity, they were definitely fading away. His hopes began to rise.

"What do you mean you haven't been feeling sick? Has that been an issue in the past?"

"Oh, yeah." Jaune chuckled. "Just ask my mom about it. I always felt queasy, I had the worst spacial awareness of any kid on the planet, and the headaches were the worst. It used to scare my parents a lot when I was a baby, especially when I had these episodes when I could barely breathe. Why do you ask?"

Kebiin didn't answer. That was exactly how he felt when he first came to Remnant. The overbearing sickness, the mind splitting headaches from the emptiness, all of it. In his excitement, he grabbed Jaune's hands and leaned closer.

"What about the dreams? What do you see, what do you hear? Please, I have to know!"

Jaune was taken aback by Kebiin's sudden burst of excitement. He would have payed closer attention to the blue haired boy's questions, but he was more concerned with the fact that their noses were practically touching.

"Uhh, Kebiin? You're kind of umm…"

Before Kebiin noticed how cuddly he was getting with Jaune, he spotted a quick flash from the corner of his eye, accompanied by the click of a scroll's camera.

"Whoah, look at you two!" Yang called out, still holding up her scroll. "You gonna make this a habit, Kebiin? Sneaking off with cute boys and girls while you think we're not looking? Tsk tsk…"

"What the- Yang!" Kebiin cried back. Jaune was still trying to register what just happened.

"C'mon, I'm just teasing. I'll delete the photo. Just be careful. Seeing the cute younger kid hold hands and staring into the eyes of his dear upperclassman only a few weeks before the Vytal dance might give people the wrong idea." Yang winked.

"Vytal dance?" Jaune's face started to glow red.

"Cute younger kid? Upperclassman? I'm only a year younger! And we're in the same grade!"

"Hush, child. I'm just teasing. I heard you and Weiss arguing and decided to check up on you. Ruby's taking care of Weiss right now."

Kebiin finally broke away from Jaune, who was looking well above awkward at the moment.

"I woke you two up?" Kebiin moaned, realizing how loud he actually must have been. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's alright." Yang said. "No big deal. You weren't that noisy, just… I don't know how to explain this…"

"Cold?" Jaune chimed in. Yang look confused, obviously wondering how someone would be able to "hear cold", but Kebiin tensed up, knowing exactly what he meant. Jaune wasn't out on a morning jog for the heck of it. Even if Jaune didn't know it, he sensed Kebiin's burst of frustration. He followed it on instinct.

"Sorry!" Jaune stammered, trying to recuperate from his odd response. "I'm not sure if this is a conversation I should be in. I'll just… head off. Good luck, you guys." Before Kebiin could say anything to stop him, Jaune had already put his earbuds in his ears and was jogging back to the main school building.

"That was weird…" Yang raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

"No clue." Kebiin lied quickly. He was trying to process all the information Jaune had given him.

"Uh huh…" Yang said skeptically. Even if Kebiin jumped to his answer a little too fast than was natural, she decided not to pursue the subject. "You want to come back to the dorm? It's still chilly out."

Kebiin took one last glance at the statue. "Is Weiss alright?"

"Yeah, she's ok right now." Yang's shoulders sagged once Jaune was out of view. Her normally vibrant lavender eyes faded in tone once she checked back into reality. She couldn't be the giddy one all of the time. "She's just… not over the whole thing completely."

"Neither am I. Are any of us, really?"

Yang paused. "No… I don't think we are. I just hope we don't have to be."

Kebiin nodded and motioned for Yang to take the lead on getting back to the dorm. She did so, and the two of them started down to the main building.

* * *

The sparring round on the stage ended at the sound of a sharp siren. The two combatants hauled their sore bodies back to their seats as Professor Goodwitch took their place, positioning her hands behind her hip in her usual authoritative manner.

"Remember class: If you want to make it in the Vytal tournament, all of you will need to make vast improvements, especially if you're going to be competing against Atlas this year. Their new leaders will want to prove themselves to the world, but I have faith in all of you. Class dismissed."

Ruby stood up to leave but took a glance at the two empty spots next to her. By this time, everyone had known what happened to Blake, but Kebiin was nowhere in sight.

"Ms. Rose." Glynda called out as the rest of the students exited out the door. She motioned with her finger for Ruby to join her on the stage. Ruby nodded and climbed her way toward the professor, letting Weiss and Yang know to wait at the door for her.

"Yes, professor?"

"Ms. Rose, I understand that you team has been… unstable as of late."

Ruby's shoulders slumped forwards and her eyelids dropped half way out of tiredness.

"I know…"She groaned. "I'm sorry professor, but I honestly don't know what to do. Ever since she ran away, we've all been on edge. Weiss and Kebiin… I don't know what to do about them."

"That's exactly what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Huh?"

"Mr. Ceibur has been skipping classes for days now, I'm sure you've noticed. I've talked to his other teachers, and we agree that it isn't helping him. It's very apparent that when he's seen outside of class, stress is beginning to eat away at him. If you can, please convince him to come back to his studies."

"He's just upset over all of this." Ruby tried to explain. "Maybe he just needs some alone time."

"Ruby, the last thing your friends need right now is to be alone. Not only do I want him to stay on top of his studies, but he needs you girls more than ever."

"But what am I supposed to say?"

"You're their leader. Not only that, but I hope you know Kebiin sees you as family. Ozpin told me that he has a very good reason to think so. You'll know what to say."

Glynda nudged her head over to the door leading out of the classroom. Ruby turned to see her friends waiting for her, and after giving the professor another glance, jogged to join them.

"What did she need?" Her sister asked once Ruby caught up to them.

"Just asking how everything is doing."

"I bet that was a pleasant conversation…"

"Hey, do you know where Kebiin is? I wanna check up on blue boy."

"Be my guest." Yang snorted. "I'd check our dorm, but if not, I've seen him sneak out into the courtyard before."

"Thanks. I'll meet back up with you next class. We still going out later tonight?"

Weiss silently nodded at the mention of finding Blake. Yang sighed and placed her hands on either of their shoulders.

"Y'know what? Ruby, why don't you take just Weiss and Kebiin out for the night? I can cover for you guys here."

"Just three of us?" Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you come along?"

"I have work I need to catch up on. Besides…" Yang gave her a pat on the back. "...It'll be good for you. Don't worry, we've still got a few hours before then."

Weiss nodded and began heading off into the direction of their next period. Yang followed soon after.

"I'll meet you back in a few." Ruby said. "Hopefully, I'll bring you-know-who back with me."

* * *

"Revan, please!" Kebiin begged. "What you've been teaching me isn't working. I need some other way to find her!"

"You can't find her because your mind is clouded." His mentor said calmly.

Kebiin had been secluding himself in his dorm for nearly a week now. For all the time he was skipping out on classes and lunches, he was doing everything he could to learn how to track someone with the Force from Revan. But even with so much devotion, his powers refused to properly obey him.

"I'm trying!" Kebiin gritted his teeth. "I do what you say: Empty your mind, feel the current, locate her energy signature. But every time I try, I'm just… I don't know, blocked."

"I'm trying to tell you why that is. You're so preoccupied with your frustrations that it's preventing you from remedying the cause of it."

"But it's not just that." Kebiin groaned. "Remnant… the Force doesn't feel the same here. It's not like back home. I can feel it now, but it's… distant. The plants, the people, the air... It's all I know, but it's all so strange. It doesn't feel complete."

Revan's small blue image flickered. "This world may be different, but you can sense the Aura in these people, can't you?"

"Yes, but I already told you! There's no flow or greater connection, just separate power."

The shimmering hologram folded his arms and placed a hand on the chin of his mask, formulating a response. For the moment, there was no sure way to guarantee that his theory was correct. But even if Aura, Semblances, and Grimm were somehow descended from the Force, it didn't make the situation any easier.

"Revan." Kebiin began, this time more softly. "Back when you were alive, I heard you trained certain people for a specific purpose. You taught them how to negate everything else, and focus on a single person. If I can't use the web of the Force to find Blake, what if-"

"No!" Revan erupted. "You want me to show you how to be one of my assassins? You don't know what you're talking about."

"But they worked!" Kebiin argued. "They could find anyone with no distractions. If I learned how to do that, we could find her in no time! I don't have to listen to everything else, I would just cut right to the point!"

Revan's image inflamed even further, emitting more energy than Kebiin had seen before. The power the device was now giving off shocked Kebiin, causing him to fall onto the floor.

"I will not allow that to happen!" Revan's slightly electronic voice shouted. "Those assassins were nothing more than mere hunters. Do you want to know why they were so skilled at finding their targets? They fed off of them. They turned their prey into their very reason to live. That desire drove them into utter madness, corrupting them beyond repair. Do you, the last remaining hope for the Jedi, want to be reduced to that?"

Kebiin stood back up and looked down at his master's projection. He straightened his back and clenched his fists in an attempt to look confident, but his watering eyes told a different story.

"No." Kebiin forced out. "I understand what I have to do, but that's a long time off! Right now, I have to find my friend!"

"You're not listening to me! This isn't what-"

"I thought you of all people would understand, Revan!" Kebiin bursted. "Is this what _your_ master said when you wanted to rescue Bastila?"

Even if his face was covered by a mask, Kebiin could see his mentor's shock. If his jolted body language didn't give it away, he could simply feel the effect of the words in the air. For this, he didn't need to Force to sense.

There was a lengthy pause. Should he apologise? He had spoken out of turn, but Revan wasn't scolding him yet.

"...I didn't think you would have known her name." Revan said, his composure restored. From his serene tone, Kebiin wondered if he had even lost it in the first place. "I was afraid Bastila had been lost to history. That was a long time ago."

"...Of course I know all the stories." Kebiin mumbled. "Mom learned it because you saved the Republic. Dad learned it because you were the only one who could beat us."

"It seems our situations are alike." Revan admitted. "We both lost someone close to our hearts, and we both have duties to perform. I had to save the Republic, and you have to restore the Jedi."

Kebiin bit down on his lip and tilted his eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry, master… I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"No, it's fine." Revan said. "You reminded me that I was based off of a real person. That maybe I'm more than just a program."

"Do you remember what it was like? Being alive, I mean."

"Sometimes, I think I do. I can remember my travels with all my friends on our rusty old freighter. But at the same time, it's someone else's memories. They were only given to me because I had to be the person who lived that life."

"I see…" Kebiin took a deep breath and let out an attempt at a relaxed sigh. "I think… I think I should go."

"Kebiin, I'm sorry. I don't know what this world must feel like to you, so I can only teach so much. You have to wait and find her on your own like I did with Bastila. Good luck."

"I know, Revan." Kebiin swallowed. "Thank you."

Revan nodded, and Kebiin shut the holocron off.

There was a moment of silence before Kebiin heard a sudden knock on the door. He jumped, nearly dropped the holocron, and fumbled awkwardly to catch it.

"Y-yes?"

"Kebiin, you in there?" It was Ruby.

"Yeah, just a sec." Kebiin rubbed his temple with his fingers and floated Revan's holocron back to his nightstand. He walked over to the door, slightly disoriented from his practice.

"Is there something you need?" He asked Ruby as he cracked the door open slowly.

"Are you alright? You look… tired."

Kebiin took a peek at his reflection in Ruby's silver irises. He was paler than usual and he was developing noticeable dark circles under his eyes.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine."

"You don't look like it. Who was that man you were talking to? I don't see anyone in there…"

Kebiin went stiff. She heard him?

"I was just on my scroll. No big deal."

"But you two were arguing. Kebiin, is he why you're not showing up to class?"

"Among other things…" He grumbled.

"What?"

"No, he's an… old friend. We're not exactly seeing eye-to-eye at the moment. How much did you hear?"

"Not much, but you called him "master". What does that mean? Does he want something from you?"

"Ruby, I already told you it's no big deal."

"But if he's bothering you, I have to know!"

"What, I have to tell you everything!?" Kebiin raised his voice. "I already told Blake everything, and look what happened!"

"Kebiin…" Ruby said softly in a hurt tone. "I know things are rough right now, but we're a family. I want to make sure you're ok…"

Kebiin's eyes widened once he heard Ruby's voice paired with her concerned expression. For a moment, Kebiin would have thought he was looking at Weiss. She had that exact same look. They were only trying to help, and he kept shooting them down.

" _Ni ceta…_ I'm sorry." Kebiin slumped his head. "He was a teacher I had a while ago. I thought he could help us find her, but we're on our own."

"Is he a good person? He won't hurt you?"

Kebiin nodded. "The things he's taught me have saved my life more than once. He… he was a friend of my mom."

Ruby jumped forward and gave him a surprise hug. After catching himself, Kebiin hugged her back.

"You want to come back to class?" Ruby asked. "We could use the company."

Kebiin took a breath and broke the hug. "Okay." He agreed. "Lead the way, _Alor_."

* * *

Ruby, Weiss, and Kebiin waved back at Yang as they set foot outside the academy gates since she wouldn't be joining them on their search tonight. Yang didn't say the exact reason why she was staying put to Kebiin, but he made his best guess once he realized he would be spending more time with Weiss.

"Okay people, let's make tonight count!" Ruby said with a not so subtle double meaning. "Where do we start?"

"We need to think outside the box." Weiss said. "We've managed to check all of Blake's favorite places and points of interest, but where do we go from there?"

"Let's try something new…" Kebiin exhaled. "Hope I get this right."

"Get what right?" Ruby asked.

Kebiin closed his eyes and stretched his hand forward, doing his best to follow Revan's repeated advice.

"Uh… What are you doing?" Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"Empty your thoughts, let your mind be free. Follow the current, let it guide you…"

Ruby approached him nervously. "Erm… What's going on?"

A quiet rumbling ran through the air. Kebiin's muscles relaxed as he let the small amount of detectable Force energy run it's course through him and into his surroundings. He saw flashes of the city, his vision darting from person to person. He came to a stop at a familiar face, but it wasn't Blake.

The rumbling ceased with a bassy pop, and Kebiin staggered backwards, his head feeling like a block of ice had been broken against it. Ruby and Weiss caught him by his arms before he could fall to the ground.

"Woah there, settle down." Ruby said slowly. "What was that? What happened to you?"

Kebiin sloppily hauled himself back onto his feet, partially wondering the same thing. But he now had an idea on how to go about their night.

"I think I know someone who can help us."

"What? Who?" Weiss asked eagerly.

"I don't know why exactly, but I saw… Penny."

* * *

"Penny!" Kebiin called when he finally came into her view. He followed the path of his vision, sprinting nearly the whole way. Ruby and Weiss were asking him questions along the way, but now that they had caught up to their destination, all they could do was pant.

"Salutations, friends! I was wondering if we would ever… Excuse me, where's Blake and Yang?"

"Yang?" Kebiin gasped for breathe. "She's…" Kebiin held up his index finger as bent down and lowered his head to his knees to breath. "One sec…"

"She's back at Beacon." Ruby said, recovering the fastest out of the three of them.

"And Blake?"

Weiss braced herself on Ruby's shoulder, taking a deep breath and restoring her posture before responding.

"We were actually hoping you could help us with that. She's gone missing, and Kebiin said you would be able to help somehow."

"She's missing!?" Penny cried. "How did this happen? When did it happen?"

"She's been gone for about a week." Kebiin said. "We didn't know where else to go, and I just thought that maybe you might be able to-"

"How can I help?" Penny stiffened out her back and changed her expression to one of determination.

"I… I don't know, actually. Something told me that I had to find you, that you could lead us to her."

"Hmm…" Penny placed a hand on her chin and leaned towards Kebiin, examining his features carefully.

"I think I might know someone who can help."

"Who?" Weiss leaned in.

"My uncle! He's really smart and good at finding people. If I introduced all of you to him, I'm sure he'll help out!"

Ruby, Weiss, and Kebiin all nodded in agreement. This was the closest thing they had to a lead, and Kebiin had no choice but to trust in the Force for now. His experience led him to Penny, so that's where he would follow.

The sun was starting to dip down even lower in the sky, and the fractured moon was rising up to take its place. As Penny led their group to where her "uncle" was, they began to notice that they were retracing their steps back to the docks. Where Weiss and Blake had their original fight. The same place Kebiin sensed the dark side presence.

"See? right over there, by that warehouse on the harbor."

The team gave each other some skeptical glances, Weiss looking the most awkward out of them all.

"Penny, are you sure this is where he is?" Kebiin asked nervously. "This doesn't look like the kind of place someone would just hang out."

"That's odd…" Penny squinted her eyes at the warehouse. "I didn't think there would be other people here."

"What do you mean?"

"Hey, get down!" Ruby hissed through her teeth. The four of them ducked behind some crates at a distance from the warehouse entrance. It opened, and several masked faunus began to unload large capsules of dust from inside the building. Four airships came into view as well, landing on the harbor.

"Wait… are they-"

"White Fang." Weiss nodded. "And it looks like those crates are my father's Dust company's. We need to call for backup."

Ruby nodded and flicked out her scroll and began to type Yang's number as Weiss dialed the police. Penny kept scanning the area, worriedly looking for her supposed uncle. Kebiin was about to ask if she was alright, but he paused when he felt a knot in his stomach. He sensed something. A similar dark presence to the once he originally felt the first time he had come here. This one was different, but it was enough to catch his attention. It was somehow… sadder compared to the cruelty of the previous presence. But that didn't matter. He sensed the Dark Side, and that was his main worry right now.

A loud gust of air overtook their hiding spot, rapidly waiving all of their clothes and hair. The group looked up to see what was happening, but were blinded by an intense light. Another airship.

"Hello there, Red!" A man's voice called from the craft's built in speaker. "Fancy meeting you here!"

"Torchwick…" Ruby gritted her teeth.

Kebiin looked back over his shoulder to see the mass of White Fang… retreating? They were all aware that him, Ruby, and the others were present, but instead of fighting with numbers on their side, they all began to make b-lines to their remaining airships.

"Ruby!" Weiss shouted over the airship's engines. "They're getting away!"

"I know!" Ruby yelled back. "We're on our own. Let's make this quick!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Torchwick said through his speaker. The dual chain guns on the ship began to fire, sending fragments of concrete into the air as they pounded into the ground. Weiss managed to launch away on one of her glyphs while Ruby and Kebiin used their natural speed to dart away, Kebiin grabbing Penny to pull her away just in time to avoid getting shot.

Ruby and Weiss already had their weapons drawn by the time they had evaded the fire, but Kebiin stumbled from Penny's surprising weight. He came out of his dash rather clumsily and quickly set Penny back onto her feet, unclipping _Atiniir_ as he did so.

"Kebiin?" Penny's voice quivered. "Who are these people? Why is that person trying to hurt Ruby and Weiss?"

"I don't know exactly, but it doesn't look like he's friendly." Kebiin flicked a switch, releasing the dual curved staff blades on his weapon. "Penny, we need you to stand back. We can handle this."

Penny looked at the ship attacking Ruby and Weiss, then back at the masked faunus escaping on the other aircraft. "No!" She protested. "I can help!"

"Penny, this isn't the time to-"

"Don't worry, I'm combat ready!"

"What in Mandalore's name are you-"

Two panels in Penny's back slid open, revealing a set of floating blades. The swords unfolded, arranging themselves into a circular formation. Kebiin could hear various electronic whirls and clicks from inside of Penny's body as she took her combat stance.

"You're… you're a droid?"

"Kebiin!" He heard Ruby shout as she dodged another volley of rounds. "You and Penny take care of the other ships, Weiss and I have Torchwick under control!" She must have seen Penny's short display.

"Okay! C'mon Penny, you heard her!" Penny gave Kebiin an unsure look, but nodded when she saw the two girls holding their own against the single flying craft.

Penny and Kebiin turned the other direction to run after the escaping ships. Two of them were already long gone, leaving just the other two left. White Fang grunts scrambled to get aboard, completely ignoring the two teens moving to intercept them.

"Don't let them escape!" Kebiin yelled. One of the ship's engines were beginning to warm up, producing flames and preparing to lift off the ground.

"Take out the engines, but don't kill the passengers." Kebiin flicked another one of _Atiniir's_ switches, and it retracted into the general shape of a musket.

"Penny, watch out if they change their minds and shoot at us."

"No need to worry!" She smiled intensely. "I think I know what you have in mind."

Kebiin gave her a fangy smile and aimed his weapon at one of the escaping ship's engines. Penny's swords reorganized themselves into a cylindrical shape, each blade angling themselves so the tips came together at a point.

" _Time to put those Dust crystals to use."_ Kebiin thought to himself.

 _Atiniir's_ barrel glew a vibrant indigo, and a raw bolt of lightning cracked out with a loud _"BOOM!*_ , slamming right into the the first engine of the White Fang ship. Kebiin would've been impressed with his own handiwork, but when he turned to see the green flash of light from Penny's own blast, he was sure he had to be hallucinating. Lasers protruding from the ends of Penny's floating swords collided at their collective center, forming a single, far more powerful energy cannon. An exact mirror of an Imperial superlaser.

Kebiin froze. No way… Penny's laser, that should be impossible! He had to have just imagined it. But the sound, the color, the method of fire… it was identical to what he had seen back in his own galaxy. Penny looked at him, at first proud of their combined effort, but then turned into an expression of worry once she saw Kebiin's face.

"Kebiin? What's wrong? Did I do something wrong? Why aren't you moving?"

Penny's shake on his shoulders zoned his mind back into the moment, but he ignored the crashed wreckage of the ship they had just dispatched, and further ignored the second ship that was in the air and fleeing. He quickly grabbed Penny's arms, causing her to yelp.

"Penny, where did you get that?!"

"Ah! Kebiin, I don't understand…"

"That superlaser, do you know what that was?"

"What do you-"

"Tell me!"

"Kebiin…" Penny's eyes went watery. "Did I do something to make you mad?"

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!" Weiss came in, closely followed by Ruby. "He's escaping!"

The sound of Torchwick's ship flying above their heads to joining the second escape craft was enough to make Kebiin let go of Penny.

"Penny… _Ni cuy' Ni ceta…"_

"C'mon people, let's do something!" Ruby commanded.

"Right. I'll go after Torchwick's ship, the rest of you keep that White Fang ship from getting out of here."

"Are you crazy? How are you supposed to-"

Kebiin took a quick breath, and launched himself into the air with the Force. He guided himself toward Torchwick's ship, extending his arm to open the landing ramp and climb in. Before he did so, he looked back at how the others were handling the White Fang. Penny was already hauling in the craft with her swords like a fish hook, while Weiss prevented it from moving forward with her glyphs. They were more than capable of handling it.

" _Maybe he has some answers…"_ Kebiin thought as he opened the hatch. _"I'm going to find out why I keep sensing the Dark Side here."_

* * *

Kebiin landed on the now open hatch of Torchwick's airship, using the Force to stabilize his landing.

"Oh, what is it now, Red!?" Torchwick swiveled from the pilot's chair and widened his eyes upon seeing that it wasn't Ruby who had landed on his ship. "You? I remember you! You were that orphan kid that kept mooching off of our food. Y'know, you never paid your debts. I figured you found someone else to steal from like you usually do, but I never expected you would be running around with the brats from Beacon!"

"Torchwick! You're coming with us. If you don't land this airship, I'll-"

"Neo, if you would."

Kebiin felt a sharp pain run across the length of his forearm. A short girl with brown and pink hair had appeared from behind him, brandishing a thin sword draped with blood. In his confusion and pain, Kebiin dropped _Atiniir_ and gripped his sliced arm. A long deep gash was running from the base of his radial artery to the midsection of his brachial. He began to apply pressure with his functional arm onto the stinging cut in an attempt to slow the profuse bleeding. He saw the girl reappear from the corner of his eye, but was too late to retaliate. She slashed open his leg, severing his fatal femoral artery. He fell down as he felt his blood violently rush from his leg. He tried to get back up on his feet, but the pain from his leg and the slippery blood on the metal floor only caused him to fall back down. Kebiin shivered as he felt the color leave his body, curling up in a pool of red.

"Neo, would you be so kind as to take the wheel?"

The girl obliged, and took her seat in the pilot's chair. Roman walked over to Kebiin's bleeding body, and smacked him several times with his cane.

"Y'know what, kid? You had some sympathy from us a while back when you were little. But now, you're just being a pest. Plus, I've recently come across someone with an eerie resemblance to you that I more or less loathe at the moment. So, if you would be so courteous, get off my ship!"

Neo angled the ship slightly up, and Kebiin began to slide out of the hatch from the lubrication of his own blood.

"Wait a minute… What's this?" Torchwick bent down, and Kebiin watched helplessly as the man unclipped his mom's lightsaber from his belt. The last thing Kebiin saw before sliding away to drop several hundred feet out of the air was Roman activating the pale yellow blade. He stared at it in shock. Kebiin could see that he was making some sort of connection in his head, almost as though he had seen a lightsaber before.

The gentle hum of his mother's blade gradually faded away as he fell off the ship, and plummeted to the ground below. His vision was becoming hazy, and his body felt drained. Before he lost consciousness, he heard the trademark whimsical sound of one of Weiss' glyphs activating below him.


	13. Chapter 13

AU: Sorry for the long wait on this one, folks. Some stuff came up that slowed down the progress on this chapter. However, the school year is coming a close soon, and I'll hopefully get back to the productivity I had last summer. I also wanted to give a massive shout out to Kamen Rider Raika for helping so much on this chapter, and others before. His influence has really upped the quality of this story, and it would be criminal to not mention his exceptional help here since he actually wrote quite a good chunk of the chapter while I was unable to. Again, I simply can't thank the guy enough. Thanks Raika, and to everyone else, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

-SubtleSaber

* * *

Rowand could hear the screams from behind the metal door. An overtone of laughter was just barely audible above the agonized wails, something that would've sent chills down a normal person's spine. But Rowand had long been desensitized to it. His partner was having the time of her life right now, at the expense of someone else's. The thought of intervening would've crossed his mind in the past, but that was no longer the case. He was an Inquisitor now. That was all that mattered to him.

He leaned against the cold steel wall, impatiently tapping his foot. Why had Nyxona called him? Didn't she know he was busy gathering information from Cinder? A trip to some underground city ruins wasn't exactly his idea of a fun detour.

At last, the door creaked opened, and out came Nyxona. The woman looked like she was about done when she took notice of Rowand just as the door boomed shut behind her. "Rowand! So good for you to come!" she beamed a smile at him. There was a faint hiss as she removed her helmet, revealing not only the green skin and tattoos of her Mirialan decent, but several deep claw marks that their mentor had inflicted upon her all those years ago.

Rowand silently glared at his fellow Inquisitor, and after a moment of nothing from him, Nyxona gave a play pout. "Fine, be that way," she said with a twirl of her head.

"What do you want, Nyxona?" Rowand asked impatiently.

Nyxona did not answer immediately. She side-glanced the two Stormtroopers guarding the door, then looked to Rowand. "Why don't we go somewhere a little quiet?" she said before she began walking down the cracked walkway.

Rowand trailed behind cautiously. It had been several minutes of walking until the two Inquisitors came across one of the many broken and exposed windows. During that time, Nyxona was silent. That was something Rowand had never seen before, and it only troubled him. "What is going on, Nyxona?" Rowand demanded when they came to their stop.

Nyxona leaned forward and rested her hands on the window sill. "What do you think of our admiral?"

Kayana? Rowand crossed his arms, and replied, "Was is there to say? She's loyal to the Empire, and her skills make her a decent admiral… but she can be abrasive towards us."

"Do you think she's holding us back?"

Rowand was taken aback by the question, and it took him a second to compose himself. "… Yes, I do," he answered honestly.

"Then, we're on the same page. Despite all the power we have, we're still in her platoon, under _her_ command. You know she would do anything to keep us in check, if it meant saving her own skin from the emperor's wrath, and we can't do a thing about it."

"So?"

Nyxona turned her head, and her fiery-colored eyes glowed in the moonlight, creating an eerie contrast with her dark green skin. "So why follow her when we can follow another?"

Rowand's eyes widen. "You mean…" his voice trailed off, but he knew whom she spoke of.

"I do, indeed."

"But the Empire–" Rowand said, but was cut off.

"Is in another galaxy. We don't have contact with back home, and even the Emperor can't sense us all the way out here. Why shouldn't we take this opportunity?!" Nyxona turned to Rowand and raised a clenched fist. "Under the emperor, we're nothing more than his tools, but under _her_ , we could be so much more!"

Rowand stood there for several moments and pondered in silence. At last, he said, "What do you have in mind exactly?"

Nyxona lowered her first and smiled. "Can't reveal all my secrets. Just know that the three of us have to be ready for when our chance happens."

So Xaelos was also involved, as well. Another problem he would have to deal with later, Rowand knew. "Very well," he conceded.

"By the way!" Nyxona told him as she backed away. "I was having a fascinating chat with our two 'guests' about our prey."

Rowand decided to humor her. "Really?"

"I've been talking to one of them about our Mandalorian mutt. Though there is something else that might interest you."

Rowand's breath staggered for a moment. The "Mandalorian mutt"... Azrilin's son was actually alive. But of course, he couldn't let that cloud his mind. He regained his composure, continuing on with his annoyed front. "And that is…?"

"Something to do with an _orange_ holocron… and the crystal it houses."

Nyxona turned with a smirk. Without bothering to continue on with Rowand, she strode away, making soft tapping sounds as her boots walked along the pavement. After she had left, Rowand stared at the spot where she stood a moment ago. He was glad Nyxona had not seen his surprise, and his gaze sunk into the ray of moonlight that came through the window.

Rowand knew it would not be much longer before he grasped his opportunity, but the threat of his "fellow" Inquisitors lingered in the back of his mind. Serving with them for many years, Rowand knew Nyxona and Xaelos well enough. Their motives were different than his, and so were their skills. If they became as powerful as he planned to become, they would become far worse than obstacles in his plans. If only he had that power, then he could eliminate them easily, and maybe he could even take on Darth Vader and the Emperor themselves with that kind of might. After what the Empire had done to him, his sister, and their way of life, it was the least they deserved.

Rowand strode down the hall and returned back to the door leading back to Nyxona's playthings. "Sir?" one of the guarding Stormtroopers inquired.

"I just wish to see the prisoners." Rowand reported.

The two Stormtroopers backed away from the door, and Rowand came up to the door's little window. Through it, he saw two figures–both Faunus with a golden tail from a male and cat ears for the female–were chained up to the wall. Faint lines of smoke rose from their lithe bodies, and only groans were audible from their cell. Rowand did his best to ignore the scent of burning flesh that had overtaken the chamber.

Rowand sighed inwardly. He could not go in there now, not after what Nyxona gave them and what she had told him. Interrogating the prisoners any further would not do anything, and it was better to have a living body to question than a corpse. Rowand began to turn with a defeated look.

"Kebiin?"

The meager whisper made Rowand come to a halt. He looked through the small opening once more, right at the female. Her head was slightly raised, and the slits of her feline eyes glowing in the cell's shadows. The two stared at each other for what felt like forever, yet it was nothing more than an instant when Rowand turned around and continued onwards. The prisoner was another question for another time. Now, he had other matters to attend to.

* * *

Weiss panicked as she attempted to tend to Kebiin's crimson soaked body. He was unmoving, pale, and his vibrant amber eyes had turned into a dull orangish brown. She tore off bits of her clothing to wrap around his forearm and leg, the constant bleeding turning her normally clean white outfit into red.

"Don't you dare die on me!" She cried as she wiped away her tears, smearing red across her cheeks. "I won't forgive you if you do this to us, you dunce!"

Ruby was practically hyperventilating while studdering into her scroll, hoping the ambulance she was calling would arrive in time. After swallowing, she dropped her scroll and rushed over to Kebiin to help Weiss.

"I need to get this around his arm." Weiss held up what used to be her sleeve. "Ruby, I need you to keep the pressure up on his leg. Just remember what we learned in school, and he'll be okay."

Ruby nodded statically and pressed her hands across the massive gash along his upper leg.

"Weiss, it's his artery…"

"I know it is!" Weiss yelled. "Just one more minute, and he'll be off the hospital. He'll be okay after we get him there." She said partly to convince herself just as much as her leader.

"Penny, help us!" Ruby called over to their petrified friend. Penny was completely pale, frozen at the sight of Kebiin's draining body. But her eyes were darting back and forth as though she were giving him some sort of scan.

"He's not going to last long enough…" Penny whispered.

"Of course he is!" Weiss snapped at her. "He's going to make it! Just get over here and help!"

"Weiss, you have to close the wound." Penny straightened out, her face regaining its color. Her eyes shifted from her usual curious naivety to a more methodical and calmed tone. "You have a fire Dust crystal in your rapier, right?"

"Y-yes, I do." Weiss said as she raised her eyebrow just slightly. "What do you…" She trailed off, realizing what Penny was suggesting. "Ruby, keep the pressure on his wounds, just give me a moment."

"What? What are you gonna do?" Ruby stepped over Kebiin to take Weiss' place, applying both of her hands on the open wound. Weiss retrieved her sword from the ground, and cycled through the revolving Dust cylinder in the guard. She settled on the red fire cartridge, and began to heat the blade. It hissed and glowed a bright orange as Weiss adjusted the settings for cauterization.

Ruby's eyes widened when she realized what Weiss was doing, but didn't protest. This needed to be done.

"Sorry, Kebiin…" Weiss said once she settled on the right temperature of her blade. "This is going to hurt…"

Still sitting over her friend, Ruby felt a sudden wet clasp over the side of her face. She looked down to see Kebiin's panicked and agonized face, desperately gasping for breath.

"Kebiin!" Ruby cheered. "Weiss, he's still alive! He's awake!"

" _Buir…_ " Kebiin croaked. " _Buir jetii'kad…kaysh at hiibir bic..."_

"Ruby, try to calm him down. He needs to be still." Weiss said as she rushed to his side. She motioned for Penny to join them again, and this time, she did so. "Penny, help Ruby keep him down." Penny nodded.

Ruby moved her body to the side to allow Weiss more room, placing the bloody hand Kebiin had on her cheek into her own hands. Was there anything she could say to comfort him? How much of his language did she know?

"Uh… _Udesiir, hettir tal, oyacyir."_ If she remembered correctly, that would translate into "Relax, burn blood, live." It was broken and disjointed, but Kebiin did settle down at least somewhat. Maybe it was simply at the sound of a familiar language, but it was what they needed.

Kebiin's watery eyes fluttered back to Weiss, who was holding her hot glowing blade. Kebiin tried to express something, maybe fear, but he was too weak to attempt much.

" _Cuyir ibac… jetii'kad?"_

"I'm sorry, just hold still…"

Ruby grabbed hold of Kebiin's hand, ready for him to squeeze. Penny placed her hands on his open leg, holding down it down to make the work easier for Weiss.

" _Buir? Cuyir ibac gar? Bic cuyir an bid ge'tal. . . Ni aalar ut'reeyah…"_

"R-ready?" Weiss shivered, and Ruby and Penny nodded.

Weiss applied the flat of her scalding blade against the open wound on Kebiin's leg, sizzling the flesh back together. Kebiin instantly kicked and screamed, nearly sending Weiss' blade further into his limb. Ruby felt the wind carry the vapor of Kebiin's burning flesh slithering toward her face, causing her to bury her face in the crease of her elbow. She gagged as she tried not to imagine breathing in someone else's evaporated blood mist. She didn't even notice how hard Kebiin was squeezing her hand.

Weiss took several heavy breaths as she wiped a few drops of sweat from her brow. It was all so quick, but they still had his arm to worry about. Ruby stayed by Kebiin's functional hand, while Penny shifted to grab his gashed arm. Weiss blew a few times on the end of her blade, sending a few embers to the ground.

"One more…"

Weiss once again applied the searing blade flat, but this time on Kebiin's open arm. He winced and twitched, seeming to better handle the pain, but the continuing clenching of his hand caused Ruby to yelp and grimace. After the small amount of steam had dissipated, Weiss tossed her sword aside and let out a teary sigh.

"He's unconscious." Penny said in an almost monotone voice.

"I don't blame him…" Weiss exhaled as she began working on Kebiin's makeshift bandages again. "All that matters is that he'll be okay…"

Red and blue lights began to flash from behind them, followed by the loud but relieving sounds of ambulance sirens. Ruby stood up first, noticing that one of the cars approaching the scene wasn't a police or medical vehicle. It was Ozpin's shiny black limo.

Immediately and without question or hesitation, a large group of medics equipped with respirators and a stretcher rushed out to get Kebiin into the ambulance. Weiss backed away, placing her hands on Penny's shoulders to shift her aside. At this point, all that any of them could do was hope for the best.

Ozpin, accompanied by several more paramedics, rushed over to the three girls. Ozpin didn't pay much attention to Penny immediately, wanting to check up on his students. The medics sat the girls down, wiping the blood off of their hands and faces while checking for injuries.

"Professor…" Ruby teared up again. "I'm sorry, I had no idea this would happen… I… I didn't mean…"

"Ruby, Weiss." Ozpin bent down onto one knee, placing a hand on the girl's shoulders, looking at the two of them. "Both of you handled yourselves more than competently in a combat situation, and both of you took the charge in aiding an injured comrade."

"But he could die!" Ruby snapped. "What does all that matter if we let him die!?"

"You didn't." Ozpins said calmly. "You three did everything in your power to help him, and I have faith he will persevere because of that. You didn't do anything to 'let him die', you gave him a chance to survive."

Ozpin stood back up, helping the two girls back onto their feet. "Let's get back to Beacon. Yang needs to know what happened, and you all need to rest."

The two of them nodded and walked solemnly toward the limo. Ozpin turned to Penny to introduce himself, but a multi-winged object began to block some of the moonlight.

"An Atlas shuttle?" Weiss recognized before getting in the car. "What are they doing here?" Several more cars pulled over onto the scene, all of them heavily armored and pristinely white. Atlas military police. The three-winged shuttle made a surprisingly smooth landing as the side wings folded upward and the cockpit steam vents hissed. The doors to the white cars opened, pouring out several equally pristine white armored troops.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step away from the girl and leave." One of the helmeted soldiers said to Ozpin.

"What is he thinking!?" Ruby whispered over to Weiss. "You can't just talk to a headmaster like that!"

"Ruby, you don't understand. They're Atlas military police." She shoved her leader into the car, followed her in, and quickly shut the door.

"What are you doing? Why are you so scared?"

"Don't talk to them, don't even look at them. They're not your regular friendly cops. Ozpin is lucky they even acknowledged him before shoving him away or aim their weapons at him."

Ruby peeked out of the tinted window, seeing one of the white armored military police gripping Ozpin by his arm, guiding him toward his black limo. Ozpin stepped inside, and frustratedly told the driver to head back home.

"Hey Ruby?" Weiss asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Kebiin kept saying saying the same word a bunch… _buir_ , I think. And there was something else. _Jetti_ … umm… something. Do you have any idea what that means?"

" _Buir_?" Ruby glanced up to the ceiling of the car in thought. "I think… I think it means 'mother'. He was calling for his mom…" Ruby moved her head down, looking at some of the dried blood still imbedded in the creases of her hands. "He's just like Yang and I…"

"Ruby?" Weiss placed a hand on her shoulder. "You alright?"

"Huh? Yeah, yeah. Just still shocked and all. Look, my hands are still shaking… But yeah, that other word he used a lot. _Jedee'kaht? Jetti'kad?_ I don't know what ' _Jetti'_ means, but ' _kad'_ means sword or saber. But whatever it really means, but he said he lost whatever that is. He was apologising."

"To whom?"

"His mom. At least, I think that's what he was doing."

"Well… we could ask him if he's-"

"No, we'll ask him _when_ he gets better. He's going to pull through."

Weiss lightly slapped the side of her head several times to get the thought out of her head. "Of course! He's going to be fine…"

* * *

Penny was rushed into the tri-winged shuttle by the white armored troops as soon as her friends from Beacon were out of view. Now that the moment was over, her medical programing had ceased. Her eyes glazed over as she looked down at her reddened hands, still trying to recover from her unfamiliarity with blood. Were people really hurt that easily? It was all so scary… she didn't even want to think about the idea of losing her new friend.

"Leave us." Penny heard a voice say.

"Uncle?"

The black-clad pilot of the shuttle came into her view, only to exit down the loading ramp to the outside. The door shut, putting a divide between Penny and the scene she had just been put through. She heard footsteps come from the closed cockpit interior, finally recognizing the dark robed and armored figure that was approaching her.

"Uncle Rowand!" Penny lept forward into her uncle's arm's, tearing up and unintentionally getting stains on his uniform.

"Penny, what happened? Where have you been? Your father's been-"

"I'm sorry!" Penny whimpered. "He just looked so much like you and I thought he could be my friend! B-but then they needed help, and I know you said you didn't want me to talk about you to others, but I thought maybe you'd like to help him too, but-"

"Penny, slow down!" Rowand exclaimed. "Stay calm, and tell me what's going on."

"-but then he got hurt!" She shouted, ignoring his request. "I'm so worried… there was so much blood…"

She brought her teary face up to look at her uncle. It was true that Kebiin looked a lot like him. The same blue hair, a similar shade of light brown skin… they both had amber eyes, but they were… different in a way. Rowand's seemed… sadder. More suppressed.

"Hold on a moment." Rowand guided Penny to the seats bolted on the interior walls of the craft. "What did you mean 'he looked like me'? Who did you meet?"

"I'm sorry, I know father said he didn't want me to meet with anyone other than you, but-"

"No, Penny, it's fine." Rowand cut her off. "If father has an issue with it, I can talk with him. Who did you make friends with?"

"Well…" Penny sniffed. "One of the teams from Beacon. They're all really nice, and one of them looked just like you. His Aura is strange just like yours, too. Their friend Blake went missing, we tried to find her, but…"

"The White Fang?"

Penny nodded, tilting her head down in shame. Rowand paused, almost as though he were recuperating from something. Penny looked back up at him, only to find him with a look of shock plastered on his face.

"What was his name?" He asked.

"Kebiin Ceibur."

Rowand made some sort of noise in the back of his throat, not knowing how to respond. His eyes widened, and his hand twitched.

"Uncle?"

"Where is he now?"

"They're taking him to the hospital…"

"Did you run a scan on him when he got injured?"

"Y-yes. Why?"

"Is he going to live?"

Penny shook her head. "I don't know. He lost so much blood, but it was almost as if… his body was willing itself to not die."

"I think I can help your friend." Rowand stood back up. "We're going to the hospital. But remember: don't tell anyone. Not my colleagues, not the officers, and certainly not Kebiin. This is staying a secret."

Penny was awestruck. She wiped her damp eyes with her sleeve, sniffing again as she did so. "Wait… huh? How can you help? Why does it have to be a secret?"

"Penny, there are some things that you and even your father don't know. Atlas has changed, and the rest of the world will follow it soon. Frankly, there are going to be people in power that shouldn't be. Your friend might be able to change that."

"I don't understand… you said that you helped make all the changes in Atlas possible. Why do you want to stop it? Are more people going to get hurt? Are you trying to protect them?"

Rowand didn't turn back to face her. He stood up, strode into the cockpit, and began to activate the controls. Penny felt the shuttle gently lift off the ground as the wings slid into position, setting them on course for their destination.

"Yeah…" Rowand sighed uncertainty. "Protecting people…"

* * *

Kebiin was being rushed into a room, his eyes fluttering as voices and machines whirled around him. The lights were a blinding white, but they eventually dimmed out enough that it didn't sting his eyes. His leg and arm throbbed and itched, and his body felt too light. The people above him were wearing white and light blue outfits, all of them sticking needles and tubes into his limbs. He tried to resist, but all he could muster was an exaggerated twitch.

"Doctor!" A female voice called out. "We ran the tests, and his blood type… it doesn't match any other on record!"

"What do you mean it doesn't match anything!?" A man's voice replied. "He has to match something!"

"Sir, we'd need to run more tests to see what would happen if-"

"There isn't any time to run more tests! We're lucky those girls sealed his wounds, but it's not enough to save him. It's a miracle that he's even still alive at all."

The door to the room opened, but Kebiin couldn't even turn his head to see. But something about the presence felt familiar in a way.

"Who are you!?" One of the doctors shouted. "We're in the middle of a procedure, you can't just-"

A sharp and deep voice cut through them. "You will forget everything you saw here and report it to no one. Fabricate this boy's records to make it unassuming."

"We will forget what we saw here and fabricate this boy's records to make him unassuming..." the voices all replied.

"Leave us," the new man commanded.

Kebiin heard the doctor's swiftly turn on their heels and neatly exit the room, leaving him to this strange new person. But before he had the time to react, he felt an overwhelming urge to sleep. In his current state, he had no ability to resist, nor did he want to. His muscles relaxed as he let himself fade back into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Uncle, how are we going to do this?" Penny whispered nervously. "What if they come back? They might think that we're hurting him more."

"Don't worry." Rowand assured her. "They won't even know we were here."

He tried to take a tentative step toward the boy, but something halted him. Did he really have the right to see his sister's child? He was an Inquisitor, an agent of the Empire. He should kill him now while he had the chance, depriving Nyxona or Xaelos of the pleasure or credit as well as proving his loyalty, but…

"Uncle? We should hurry."

Rowand snapped back into reality at the sound of the android's voice. He looked down at her, throwing back up his attitude of an "uncle." For all he knew, he might have to act like a real uncle someday, but that was wishful thinking. He didn't know if he really should help Kebiin now that he was here, but some part of him told him that he wanted to.

"Right." Rowand nodded. "Let's get to work." The two of them gathered different materials from around the room, ready to perform a blood transfusion, with Rowand himself as the donor. Afterall, he was probably the only person in this new galaxy who could do so.

After Penny finished the makeshift operation, she finally let herself relax. She knew Kebiin would be okay. She took a seat next to his bedside and held his hand in both of hers, letting out a few tears.

"Penny, we need to go. We shouldn't stay here too long." Rowand said. After the transfusion, he felt plenty woozy. He could use a rest somewhere more comfortable.

"Sorry uncle, I'm just wishing him good luck." She said innocently. She gave the boy a quick peck on the forehead and patted his hand before peeling herself away.

"Said goodbye?"

"Mhm." Penny nodded. "Do you want to say anything? I think the two of you could be friends, too."

Rowand froze his breath. "I… I don't think we could be friends, Penny."

"Why not? I already made a lot of friends! Besides, you always say that you don't like the other people you work with."

"I already told you that he can't know about this. We're leaving."

"He's asleep. He won't hear. C'mon, I can introduce you!"

"Penny, I said-" Before he could finish, the little droid girl was already pulling his hand back to Kebiin's bed.

"Go on, just say hi." Penny nearly giggled.

Rowand didn't know what to say when he looked down and saw Kebiin's frame hooked up to all this machinery. The boy his fellow Inquisitors were hunting, his nephew, was right in front of him. Rowand and Kebiin shared the same hair, the same skin tone, and a similar overall frame. It was like looking at his child self, the idealistic young Jedi from before Order 66. Rowand felt his eyes tense with the beginnings of tears as he continued to look down on the last remaining thing he had of his sister. The one thing he could have been.

"Uncle?" Penny asked softly.

"Okay, let's go." Rowand swiftly turned on his heel and began to exit out the door. Penny rushed to follow him.

'Azrilin,' he thought on his way out. 'I found him.'

* * *

Kebiin's vision was still hazy, but he knew he wasn't in his hospital bed anymore. He felt drowsy and slow, but nowhere near as fragile as he did before. He could hear waves gently buffering against rocks and sand all around him, the salty smell of a sea filling his senses. The air was crisp and clean, and his eyes were beginning to clear up.

Sure enough, he was on a sandy island, overlooking a vast expanse of saltwater, but this sea was different. All around him, the wreckage of crashed ships dotted the landscape, some the rusted remains of ancient white and orange Republic, Mandalorian, and other vessels of unknown designs. He looked at the near-cyan sky, and saw that it was divided by a narrow dark ring, with smaller dark points orbiting it. Squinting to get a better look, the dark line looked like it was made of smaller metal pieces that had naturally fused due to gravity. He didn't know what it was exactly, but that metal orbital ring did not sit right with him. It felt… cruel in a way.

A new sound began to cut through the waves, causing Kebiin to rear his head to the small cliffs behind him to find the source. When he saw the dark shape descending from the sky, Kebiin knew exactly what it was. An Imperial shuttle made its elegant descent on the rock ledge above him, landing in front of a woman clad in a black armored tunic. Kebiin didn't know his exact location, but he recognized the woman.

"Mom…"

Kebiin now knew what was going on. The Force had given him another vision. He took several steps forward, ready to get closer to the people that he knew wouldn't be aware of his presence. But as soon as he took his first stride to his destination, he found himself already there. Did his dream just jump him to the spot he wanted to be?

The loading ramp on the shuttle hissed open, revealing his shadow of an uncle, Rowand. Kebiin looked back at his mom, who he was standing just a few feet away from. Her head was tilted down to the ground, her face some odd contortion between sadness and relief.

"Azrilin…" Rowand said when he came to face his sister. "I didn't think you were really going to do it…"

Azrilin didn't respond yet. She let the waves fill the environment, allowing her the time to work up the courage to speak.

"...I found them. Both of them." She reached under her cloak, revealing two cubical holocrons. Kebiin instantly recognized the one that glowed a faint light blue. Revan's holocron, the one he had learned from. But the other, glowing a strong orange, was unknown to him.

"Rowand, I've listened to them both." Azrilin said. "We both know neither of us wanted the Dark Side. We're supposed to be Jedi, not… not what we are."

"No!" Rowand snapped, much quicker than his sister. "The Jedi are gone, Azrilin! We made sure of that! Come back to Imperial space. You found two Jedi artifacts that could be beyond valuable to the Emperor and Lord Vader!"

"I'm not going back! Rowand, do you know who these holocrons belonged to? He can help us!"

"No, he'll lead to our execution! Do you really want to join the rest of the Jedi, Azrilin? They're gone, and they'll never come back because of people like us."

"So you're just going to let the galaxy plunge into darkness?"

"I helped it plunge into darkness. _We_ helped plunge it into darkness. How can you be so blind? The Sith rule now. At least this way, the Force has a place in the galaxy."

"Rowand…" Azrilin was beginning to tear up. "You were going to become a temple guard. You were meant to preserve and defend everything the Jedi stood for. Don't tell me that you-"

"But I'm _not_ a temple guard and I'm _not_ a padawan anymore. I'm still fulfilling my purpose, just for the Empire. And there's no stopping them. If you leave, you'll be hunted. If you try to reject the Darkside, it will always linger. You won't last long."

"Is that what you really believe? Or is that what Vader told you to believe?"

"It's stone-cold fact. It's not a matter of belief."

"I see…" Azrilin sighed. She tucked the blue holocron back under her cloak, but tossed to orange one at Rowand's feet. "Keep it. If you use it, it'll help you. If not, I'm sure Lord Vader might give you a pat on the head." Azrilin spun on her heel to walk away from her brother, toward where Kebiin assumed a ship would be.

"Don't you _dare_ move, Azrilin!" Crimson light reflected off the white sand as Rowand ignited his lightsaber. "If you leave now, you'll be considered a traitor and a Jedi in the eyes of the Empire. And we of all people know what happens to traitors and Jedi…"

Without turning to face her brother, Azrilin reached into her cloak, pulling out another object that Rowand found all too familiar.

"Rowand…" She began softly. "I remember when you couldn't wait to get into the guard. You looked up to them so much, wishing you could be as vigilant and unwavering as they were. It took some digging, but I finally found one…" She turned to face her brother, revealing the object she held in her hand. The white and gold helmet of the temple guard. "If you won't take the holocron, then at least take this!"

Rowand was stunned. The mask his sister held toward him was the very symbol of everything he had been taught to destroy, but it was what he so very desired to be all those years ago. His lightsaber retracted back into its guarded hilt while his mouth still hung just slightly open.

"Where did you get that? The Emperor said that he wanted to destroy all that remained…"

"Turns out not even the Empire can find everything they want to destroy. If you're going to stay, then fine. But please, if you _truly_ need to find me… I'm certain you can find where I am."

Azrilin moved to give Rowand a hug, which after a brief moment of hesitation, Rowand returned it.

"Even if we can never be knighted, we can try to come as close as possible." Azrilin pushed the mask into Rowands hands, which after getting a better look at it, he began to tear up. In his hands was the life he had originally desired. The life that he still longed for. The life that his sister thought he could achieve, but it was the life that would be forever denied to him.

"Goodbye, Rowand." Azrilin whispered, still embracing her brother. "May the Force be with you."

She broke away from the still awe-struck Rowand, and turned her back to him one last time, pacing back to her own ship. After she was gone from view, Rowand began to fiddle with the white and gold mask. He turned it over and tilted his head to try it on, but he hesitated. He didn't do anything to deserve such a prestigious badge of honor and valor. But… he decided to keep it. He tucked the mask under his arm, and turned back to board his shuttle. When he placed his first foot on the steel ramp, he extended his arm, and called the orange cubicle holocron from the sand into his palm. He couldn't just leave a relic of Revan unattended.

The ramp slid upwards, hissing as it pressurized to seal the hull from outside conditions. The wings folded downward as it lifted off the ground, and everything turned white as the engines lit up to leave orbit. In the white light, a voice called out to him.

* * *

"… someone get the doctor! He's waking up!"

The woman's voice cut through the whiteness like a thin knife, as welcoming as it was unknown. More voices crowded his ears, and shadows loomed overhead. Kebiin's mind barely managed to make sense of it all, in spite of his senses being a little too clouded to even think straight. He recalled Ruby and Weiss with him, following Penny down Vale's streets.

That was when Kebiin remembered what had happened. The White Fang at the docks. Penny, and her laser. The fleeing airships. Him finding Roman Torchwick. That strange woman and her long needle. Him falling from the airship.

Torchwick taking his mom's lightsaber from him.

Kebiin's breathing grew erratic. The Force inside of him flooded out of him and went in every direction. It gripped the primitive equipment placed around him, rattling their legs and causing the readings to beep uncontrollably. The blurred faces moved in and out of his hazy sight, and their voices were clearly filled with alarm.

"The readings are going crazy!"

"Forget the readings! The equipment's moving!"

"Hold him down! Bring that sedative!"

Kebiin's panic rose. They were trying to drug him. They were trying to make him their prisoner. He would not allow that! He would not…

"KEBIIN!"

Kebiin froze, and so did the equipment around him. He recognized that voice. It was gentle and full of warmth, like his mom. He blinked his eyes, and his vision finally cleared to a pair of silver eyes staring back at him. The small, fair face was etched in concern for his wellbeing.

"Kebiin, you're with friends! _Safe_!" the face told him. "Please, calm down! _Udesiir_!"

Kebiin did, repressing the sudden surge of the Force, and all of the medical equipment stopped rattling. Relief came over him and everyone else. A calm silence followed, only for a short while when a new voice joined in.

"Ruby, what happened?! Is Kebiin alright?"

Tilting his head back up, Kebiin saw the silver eyes squinting away some small hints of weariness. Her face was now obvious, even when she turned to talk to the paler newcomer. "Kebiin's fine, Weiss," she said.

Ruby? Weiss? Kebiin was surprised to even see their faces, though he was not ungrateful. "Wha…" he tried to speak, but his hoarse tone turned into a cough.

A strong hand rested on Kebiin's heaving chest. "Easy," Yang's voice came through, and Kebiin saw the familiar wild blonde on the other side of his bed. "Can you give us a few minutes?"

The gowned nurses, barely in Kebiin's sight, did not argue and wordlessly left the room. In fact, they looked relief, which was no surprise, given what he just did. When they were gone, Kebiin looked around. He certainly was not in a cell, but a plain room like Beacon's medical wing, and he wore a hospital gown. Kebiin's teammates were on his right, left, and at the foot of his bed, each with looks of relief and concern.

Lying in his bed, Kebiin managed to ask, "Where am I?"

"Vale hospital," Yang answered from Kebiin's left. "You've been out for several days. Do you remember what happened?"

Kebiin nodded, though he really wished he had not. "How?"

"Weiss used her Dust crystals to heal your wounds," replied Ruby, who sat on Kebiin's right. "She saved your life."

Kebiin turned to Weiss. The heiress stood at the foot of the bed, and she looked everywhere to avoid his gaze. She was still ashamed of screaming at Blake and forcing her away from everyone. However, all of the hate Kebiin held for her and the shame he held for himself seemed to fade away.

" _Vor entye._ Thank you."

Surprised, Weiss brought her gaze to meet Kebiin's. There was the flicker of hope, sorrow, and happiness when she spoke, trying to keep her usual demeanor, "Just don't do it again, okay? You had us all scared."

Kebiin smiled, and so did Ruby and Yang at that. It was short-lived when Kebiin voiced his next question: "Did you find anything on Blake?"

Now, the girls' expressions dropped, and they hesitated to say anything. "Actually… there was something…" said Ruby as she reached into her cloak and pulled out a familiar soft and black of Blake's bow.

Kebiin sat up, even though Yang and his aching body wanted him lie down, and he stared at the black ribbon in Ruby's hand. Kebiin was not sure how long he had been staring at it. Seconds, maybe longer, but he did notice the familiar wetness building in his eyes. He failed to hold them in, and small tears dripped out and wetted his cheeks.

Yang's hand gently rested on Kebiin's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry. We'll find her."

"She couldn't have gotten far," Weiss agreed. "If anyone can take care of herself, it's Blake."

Sniffling, Kebiin wiped away his tears. "Y-yeah. You're right. Can I?" Ruby gave him the bow, and his still-wet eyes studied it. "W-where did you find it?"

"Actually, Jaune found it," Ruby said. "He said he didn't know how, but he did."

Kebiin was surprised and would have asked more, but Weiss interrupted them, "I hate to break this up, but we should get going. The nurses will be back soon."

Yang removed her hand. "Take care of yourself," she told Kebiin, and she left the bed.

Weiss managed a small wave of her hand before she joined Yang and exited the room. Ruby, too, stood and was about to follow when Kebiin called her, "Ruby? Can I talk to you for a second?"

Ruby stopped and turned to him with a curious look. "Sure," she said and she returned to his side.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask…" Staring at Ruby, Kebiin hesitated at first, "… back at the docks, did I… did I say anything?"

"You did. Why'd you ask?"

"I don't remember that much," Kebiin looked down at his hands. "I just remembered lying down… and… and I was calling for her."

"You mean your mom?" Kebiin's head rose up to Ruby, who explained, "Weiss heard you calling her when you were out. She didn't understand it, but..."

Kebiin understood clearly when Ruby let the sentence unfinished. He felt Ruby's sadness and pain rising to the surface, just like his own. Knowing it would not do any good to let it be, so he looked away and let out a sigh. "I miss her a lot… After she died, I was on my own for seven years. I haven't had anyone else."

"You're no longer alone. You have us, now," Ruby gave an assured smile.

"I know, but it's still hard." Kebiin turned to her, again. "I guess you understand what that's like."

Ruby tilted her head in her usual goofy manner. "Did you read my mind?"

Kebiin allowed himself a chuckle to lighten the mood. "No, Yang told me. Can you tell me more about her? Your mom, I mean?"

"She died when I was little, but I can still remember her." Ruby stared off and smiled wistfully. "She was the best. She was Kind. Beautiful. Whenever she wasn't on Huntress duty, she would always read to me and Yang. Her cookies were terrific, too."

A small smile spread on Kebiin's lips for the briefest moment. He frowned again and let his true question come out. "Do… do you think she would be proud of you?"

Ruby's silver eyes sparkled as she stared back at her friend. "I hope so. I do worry sometimes that I'm not good enough, but I always tell myself mom would not like that. In fact, if she saw me, I think she would say 'great job, Ruby!'" Ruby said with her beaming smile. "And I think if your mom saw you now, she'd probably say the same thing. She would be proud of you."

Kebiin sat there, a little stunned to give back to the comment. He was brought out when Ruby told him. "Get some rest, 'kay?"

"I will," Kebiin agreed. A reminder popped into his head and he called out, "Ruby, can you tell Jaune to meet me? I want to talk to him about something."

"Will do," she smiled.

Ruby made her exit, and her footsteps faded after she was out of the door. Alone at last, Kebiin softly exhaled through his nostrils, and he looked down at the black ribbon in his hands. "Proud…" Kebiin murmured to himself.

* * *

"Ah, you're back." Cinder purred as she sat across her desk. "How was your little trip?"

Rowand strode through the doorway, moving Emerald and Mercury aside by nudging against their shoulders. His brow was slightly more furrowed than usual, giving a sense that he had something rather unusual on his mind. "I need to see your master." He said urgently.

Cinder's usual sly grin slowly faded away. She hopped off of her little perch and darted her eyes at her lackeys, both of them raising their brows in confusion. "Go outside," she told Emerald and Mercury. "This is above the two of you."

"Cinder..." Emerald tried to begin, but she stopped when small embers form behind Cinder's irises. After what almost looked like a flinch, Emerald nodded and motioned for Mercury to join her as they exited the room.

Once the door shut behind them, Cinder turned to Rowand. "How do you know?"

"Believe it or not, there are some things even you aren't allowed to know," he replied coolly.

Cinder was somewhat amused by the remark. "Is that so? I don't find that hard to believe, but having those words coming from the mouth of my subordinate is rather… insulting."

"I'm not a subordinate. I'm an ambassador of the Midnight Song."

"Yes, an ambassador who follows my orders and commands. Just because Atlas has greater weaponry due to your party doesn't mean you can make demands like this of me."

"Are you going to take me to your master or not?"

Cinder snorted. "Why so urgent? And why would you need to see her now of all times?"

Rowand leaned forward, his nose a mere inch away from Cinder's. "Because I know what she is. She is like me, my colleagues, and my masters. And if she is truly like us, she could crush you in an instant if she so desired. If you will not give me what I want, then I will take it in the same fashion she would."

Sneering and amused, Cinder leaned forward and placed her mouth right next to Rowand's ear. With her cruel and nearly seductive voice, she whispered. "Prove it."

Without moving his head from Cinder's, he raised his hand next to her temple. A low purring overtook the room, reverberating off of the walls. Cinder's sly grin faded away as was replaced with an unnatural contortion as she tried to keep grimacing.

"She can do this too, right?" Rowand said as he moved his hand even closer to Cinder's

"I-I can't move…" Cinder fought back, and failed to break the hold on her. "How are you doing this? This can't be a Semblance, you said yours was telekinesis!"

"I lied."

Rowand pulled back, releasing Cinder form his chilling grasp. She took a few gasps, but regained her composure astonishingly quick. She cupped her long fingers against her cheek, allowing her amused grin to return. "You're right." Cinder confirmed. The Witch does have that power, and many others. So you can use magic they way she can?"

"Magic?" Rowand scoffed. "That is literally the terminology of primitive beings. But it's not something you can understand. Only I and your master can."

"Fine. I'll take you to her."

Rowand raised an eyebrow. "I expected a little more resistance from you."

"Trust me, if I could fight back, I would. If you are like Salem, then you admittedly eclipse me. But once I gain the power I seek… maybe then, we can see who surpasses who."

"You're beginning to sound like my own master."

Cinder ignored the comment. "If you want to see her, we'll need get to her by aircraft. How fast can your Atlas ships make the journey?"

"Less than a day, easy."

"Good," Walking past Rowand, Cinder spared him a glance. "I hope you're ready to meet the Dark Lady of Remnant."

* * *

Jaune almost groaned as he dragged his polished school shoes down the halls of Beacon's medical facility. His current state drew a couple stares from the nurses, and even some students who came in for treatment. That did not matter, though. Jaune's body ached all over he was not sure how he could even stand, let alone walk, after what happened an hour ago.

As he walked, Jaune noticed a nurse came up to him. "Excuse me," she said, "do you need any help?"

Jaune immediately answered. "Ugh… I think I bruised a couple of ribs and…" He caught himself "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm here to see a student. Kebiin Ceibur."

The nurse looked down at her pad. "Ceibur… Ceibur… ah, yes! This way."

Ignoring his own aches, Jaune followed the nurse down the long corridor. It was not long until the nurse stopped at a door and gestured right in. "He's right in here," she told Jaune.

"Thank you."

As the nurse left, Jaune took a peek inside. Though Kebiin sat there in his bed, seemingly fine, he certainly looked like he had been through a lot. The blue-haired boy, dressed in a hospital gown, looked out the window and his mind was somewhere else.

Kebiin turned his head and noticed his visitor. "Hey, Jaune."

Jaune came into the room with a smile, "Hey Kebiin! How are you doing?"

Kebiin, instead of answering, quickly stated, "Why do you have food on you?"

Jaune looked down, seeing some ketchup and mustard on his school uniform. "I thought I got rid of the last of it," he sighed, wiping some of it all with his hand.

"Was it Nora?"

"Who else?" Jaune stated as he came up to the bedside.

"Weiss?" Kebiin chortled.

"Well… you're not wrong there."

"For real?" Kebiin stared blankly and squinted as he contemplated an image of Weiss charging into battle like a Mandalorian Crusader with bread in hand and covered in tomato, soda, and who knows what else. "I hate to ask, but what's the damage?"

"The entire cafeteria."

Kebiin blinked his eyes. "Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh.' Anyway…" Jaune pulled up a chair, "Ruby said you wanted to see me, right?"

"I did. I wanted to thank you for finding Blake's bow. It's means a lot to me and my team."

Jaune sat down. "It was nothing. Honestly, I don't even know how I found it."

"Jaune, do you remember our last conversation?" He nodded and Kebiin continued, "Pyrrha told me that you don't know what your Semblance is yet. But I think you might have similar abilities to my own."

Jaune tilted his head slightly in confusion. "Similar abilities? What do you mean?"

"When you said you always used to feel sick as a kid, I knew exactly what you were feeling. The nausea, the emptiness, the way the world seemed sluggish. But… you can hear it."

"Hear what?" Jaune scratched his head. "You're making it sound like an imaginary friend."

"It was what led you to Blake's bow. How you sensed my frustration on that one morning. Please Jaune, this is important. Can you sense it?"

A soft purr overtook the room as Kebiin closed his eyes in concentration. A small hollow whistling overtone joined him as he felt an additional surge of energy brush against his senses.

After a lengthy pause of nothing but the mental noise, the flow of energy ceased. Kebiin opened his eyes to see Jaune, panting and wide eyed, but… smiling just ever so slightly.

"Woah… what… what was that?"

"The Fo-" Kebiin almost placed his finger against his lips to keep himself quiet. He couldn't bring that up just yet. He had to keep it in a context Jaune would understand. He didn't want to overwhelm him. "You're like me, Jaune. Our Semblance and Aura is unlike any other. My mother and… uncle had it. I have it. You have it too."

"Man, you're starting to sound all wizard," Jaune cracked, "but I did feel something. It was like when Pyrrha felt my Aura near the beginning of the year. She said I had a lot of it somehow. I was beginning to worry it would never manifest, though."

"Don't worry, it's like that for people like us. If you want, I can show you the ropes."

"Show me the ropes? I don't even know what my Semblance actually is. You're the one who can use yours. If they're the same, what does it do?"

"Your Semblance?" Kebiin placed a hand on his chin. "How do I explain this… You can do more than a lot of other people. Move things without touching them, strengthening your body, even influencing the minds of others."

"Woah." Jaune said, somewhat disbelievingly. "How does one Semblance manage all

"Very carefully." Kebiin joked.

"Then what about that thing we heard just now? That… rumbling. The little whistle. I've never heard of any Semblances like that."

"That? Well… think of it as a voice. If you listen to it, it can tell you a lot of things that will help. It can tell you where an attack is coming, give you hints where some people might be… or help you find objects you wouldn't normally find."

"You mean…"

Kebiin nodded as he glanced over to Blake's bow. "It's almost like a faunus' survival instinct, that voice. But it's beyond primal instinct. At least, that's what mom and Revan told me."

Jaune cocked his head to the side and raised one eyebrow in confusion. "Revan? Who's

Kebiin froze up once he realized what he let slip out. "Huh? Oh, nothing, nothing! I'm just thinking out loud, is all." Kebiin cringed internally at how awful his attempted recovery was.

"Hey, you doing alright, man? You panicked a bit there."

"Nah, it's no problem." Kebiin said with a little more confidence. "I'm just dizzy from the loss of blood. I should probably rest. See you in a few days?"

Jaune scratched his head, noticing that Kebiin was obviously lying about something. But he didn't decide to press on the issue. If he didn't want to talk about something, he didn't have to talk. Besides, the kid nearly died. Even if it was an excuse, he needed his rest. "Right." Jaune nodded and turned around to leave. "Say hi to the team for me when they swing by."

Kebiin spoke up one more time. "Oh, I almost forgot. Could you tell Ruby to bring me my pack from our dorm? There's some stuff in there I'd like to keep on me."

"No problem. I'll let them know."

Kebiin nodded in thanks one more time as Jaune closed the door behind him. He let out another unrelaxed sigh as he sunk into his paper covered pillow, looking at the long burned mark across his forearm.

"First real scars…" Kebiin cracked a small grin. "First step in becoming a real Mando."

* * *

The auto-piloted Lambda shuttle made its rickety landing on the vast bog. Cinder was the first to come walking down the ramp, donned a black form-fitting outfit, which included a pair of long-sleeved gloves and high boots for the swamplands ahead. Rowand, on the other hand, hesitated and covered his scrunched nose with his sleeve. Though he was gifted in his natural abilities in the Force, the smell was something he had to get used to.

"Are you sure about this?" Rowand's muffled voice cut through the smog. "I can sense something in the distance, but this storm won't exactly be pleasant to trudge through."

At the bottom of the ramp, Cinder lit a small flame in her palm. "No, she prefers it this way. Her Grimm can inspect any guests and intruders."

Grimm? Was that what Rowand was sensing? No, those dark beasts had smaller signatures. They were far more primal and unnerving. But this new feeling… Rowand knew he had sensed something similar back home. It was definitely dark, but it didn't belong to an individual organism.

"Well, come on." Cinder waved with her flaming hand. "This way."

Arm still over his face, Rowand trailed down the ramp and right into the swamp. The very ground turned to mush under the boots, and Rowand took careful steps to not sink into the bottom. He followed the woman, letting the light in her palm guide the way through the thick fog, and as Rowand did, he could start sensing them now. Grimm. A lot of them.

The first one came into their view, it's black outline contrasting their white surroundings. A Beowolf with an exceptionally feral fur coat. Rowand automatically reached for his lightsaber.

"Don't." Cinder placed her hand on Rowand's, keeping her eyes on the Grimm. "Don't let them think you're hostile."

"And you are speaking from personal experience?" Rowand guessed somewhat sarcastically.

Cinder didn't respond. She just kept moving forward, past the Beowolf. It didn't so much as snarl as she walked by, but it jerked its head forward as Rowand walked near it. It sniffed at him head to toe, bearing its' fangs if he moved even a minuscule amount.

"Rowand, don't move." Cinder said, nearly wincing as she examined the beast.

Rowand acknowledged that this was the first he had seen her genuinely worried. Not for his actual well-being of course. She likely didn't want to disturb Salem by bringing her a mere corpse. After a little too much time inspecting Rowand, the Beowolf pulled its head back. Rowand relaxed, but as he did so, the creature puffed its chest. It glared at him, making a decision that Rowand had to anticipate.

The Beowolf raised its claws up to swipe at him, only to bring it down on Rowand's now ignited lightsaber. In one small motion, the Grimm was left amputated, and in another, it was left decapitated. The creaking and low groaning of the swamp immediately ceased, allowing the raspy whistling of Rowand's glowing blade resound across the environment.

"That was a stupid move," Cinder scolded him from behind, "but we're just going to have to deal with it. More Grimm will be on their way."

No sooner than she said it, howls echoed. Forms, large and small, slowly crept out of the shadows with their red eyes gleaming at their new prey. Around the two humans, were dozens of Grimm of all sorts of species Rowand had never seen before. And all of them were baring their fangs, claws, and other weapons and Rowand and Cinder.

Cinder immediately went back-to- back with him, readying herself for a fight. "I hope you're as powerful as you say you are."

"So do I." Rowand said.

Igniting his second blade, Rowand brought the hilt vertically to his chest and activated the spinning ring to create a shield of lightsaber to put between himself and the approaching Grimm. The encroaching monsters jerked backwards, unsure of what to make of the strange spinning red beam. But their worries and curiosities were quickly set aside. Several Ursa made the first move, charging at Rowand without hesitation.

Still spinning his blades, Rowand made a hook punch motion with his weapon, sending sparks into the air as the lightsaber made contact with the Grimm's flesh. Their wounds sizzled and burned as they backed away from the scorching weapon, causing all of the other Grimm to take better notice of his capabilities.

He looked over his shoulder expecting to see Cinder fighting her own battle, but she just… stood there. The Grimm parted for her, clearing a path away from the circle of Grimm. "Cinder?"

"She says she will grant your audience if you survive." Cinder said in her typical purring tone. "I've already fought and won this test before. Now, you must do the same."

"Of course…" Rowand grunted. He knew that the darkside would only do so well against his swarm of enemies. The Grimm fed off of negative emotions, and his usual combat style emphasized those very feelings. He needed to change things up.

Rowand took a deep breath and emptied his mind. He remembered the lessons from the holocron the Faunus stole from him, the one his sister gave him on Lehon all those years ago. His mind calm, Rowand folded the ring on his lightsaber, setting his weapon back into a regular double bladed position. Taking his fighting stance, Rowand braced himself for the hoard of monsters deep in the dark.

* * *

"Easy, easy, you just got into those." Jaune cautioned Kebiin as the latter stretched out.

The two boys were in the school courtyard trying to hone of Jaune's Semblance. He had already lined up several rocks with his mind, but it was a lot more grueling than it looked from the outside.

"I'm just glad to be out of that thing." Kebiin said, tilting his head over to his discarded hospital gown. For the afternoon, he was finally back in a semi-armored tunic, jeans, and boots. "It ain't exactly beskar armor, but this is much more fitting of my people."

"Alright, I've got all the stones lined up," Jaune gestured to the line of stones. "I gotta say, I didn't think I'd be moving things with my mind so fast."

"Neither did I, to be honest…"

"Hey! At least give me a little credit."

Kebiin raised up his hands in front of him. "I don't mean to insult, I'm just genuinely surprised. Took me weeks before I was able to manipulate my surroundings. You got to that point in just a few days."

"So… I'm doing good?"

"Very good."

"Alright, what next? More rocks? Bigger rocks? Meditating on rocks?"

"Hmm…" Kebiin placed a knuckle to his mouth as he focused his senses outwards. A familiar presence was making her way from the school. This would be the perfect moment. "Jaune, tell me, what do you feel?"

Jaune blinked. "Well, I'm kinda hungry…"

"No, not that! I mean can you sense the things around you yet? The people, the plants, the feelings in the air?"

"Haha, I get it. Love is in the air what with the Dance coming up."

Kebiin groaned. "C'mon Jaune, I'm serious! Here, focus your perceptions outwards until you hear that voice again."

Jaune shrugged but did as told, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Hear it?"

Jaune didn't respond.

"Umm… can you hear it?" Kebiin asked. Silence again. "... hearing it now?"

"I can definitely hear your voice." Jaune joked.

Kebiin rolled his eyes and scoffed at him playfully. "Fine, I'll just tell you what to look for. She's walking down the steps in the academy right now. I'm sure you might recognize her Aura signature."

Now, Jaune opened his eyes. "Pyrrha!"

"Sorry to interrupt." Pyrrha said as she approached the two of them. "I saw you two from the window and I couldn't help but see what was going on. I also see you're doing a lot better, Kebiin."

"I am!" Kebiin said. "I feel like I can finally move freely. And I only hurt a little bit as opposed to a lot." Kebiin bounced on the balls of his feet a couple of times while making a few jabs at the air.

"Did the nurses say you could move around like that?"

"Probably not. But hey, what are they gonna do, arrest me? I'm a sickly patient. They think I'm fragile."

"Fair enough, I suppose." Pyrrha smiled at her leader. "And Jaune? I see your Semblance is beginning to manifest more and more. I'm really proud of you!"

Jaune blushed as he scratched the back of his head a couple of times. "Oh, uh, thanks Pyrrha! I think this is really helping though. Who knew I'd run into someone who could teach me this sort of thing? Let alone that he would the 'new kid.' I'm feeling pretty lucky."

"Well, that's good to see. You're making a lot of progress here, Jaune. You do Beacon proud."

"Man, I dunno about that."

"C'mon Jaune, don't downplay yourself too much!" Kebiin tapped his shoulder. "You're more talented than you know. Trust me, once you master your Semblance, you can accomplish–" Kebiin froze right on the spot. His pupils dilated, his tan skin whitened, and his arms began to shake uncontrollably.

"Kebiin?" Jaune said.

He and Pyrrha rushed over to Kebiin, trying to keep him steady as he fell onto his knees and covered his ears.

"Nayc!" Kebiin was absolutely petrified. He had reverted into a child-like state, crying out in his native language. "Nayc, nayc, nayc! Nayc ret'yc… Pehea…"

"Kebiin, what's going on!?" Pyrrha asked frantically.

"It's them… I can hear it… that howling… _shab'rudur ner kov'nyn_ …"

"Kebiin, we can't understand what you're saying."

"Wait…" Jaune interrupted and tilted his head up a little, "hear that?"

Pyrrha listened in closely, finally picking up on an odd howling noise. She knew what it was. "Kebiin, you're okay. You're alright, it's just Atlas visiting for the festival," she explained soothingly.

Kebiin looked up at her in absolute shock, tears rolling down his cheeks and his eyes reddened. Atlas' trademark new fighters soared over the sky, displaying their unique H-shaped design. Several larger three winged craft were among them, likely shuttles. One made its' way to the landing pad on the roof of the academy. The fighters continued to soar overhead, Kebiin twitching more and more violently as each one flew by.

"Pyrrha, that's not… they're not…" Kebiin stood up, his face devoid of relaxation and wit, but full of terror despair. "TIE fighters… the Empire…"

"Kebiin, I don't know what you're talking about," Pyrrha told him. "That's Atlas, they're just-"

"No! They killed my mother! My father! My clan and my home! I have to tell Ozpin, I can't let them take Remnant away from me!"

"Please, calm down, it's not what-"

Both Pyrrha and Jaune felt a sudden burst of energy and they were flung from their feet, away from Kebiin. They looked up to see him pull Atiniir from the ground to his hand, and dash toward the school.


	14. Chapter 14

AN: I suppose I should apologize on these late updates, huh? Guys, I'm really sorry these chapters are taking seemingly forever to upload. I just want to make sure this story is the best I can make it, and I wish that took less time than it does. However, fellow author Kamen Rider Raika has consistently been an amazing help in writing and editing these chapters. I know I've mentioned him before and have thanked him countless times in private, but seriously, I wouldn't know where I would be with this story if it weren't for him. I urge you to check his stuff out on this very site whenever you are able.

Anyways, now that I've gotten all those gushy feelings out of the way, I hope you all enjoy the chapter! In the mean time, chapter 15, and maybe some other stories, will be out in the near future...

-SubtleSaber

* * *

Glynda rolled her eyes at the obnoxiously loud display Atlas was putting on. They arrive earlier than expected and don't even have the courtesy to be polite about it? Those screaming fighters could give someone a heart attack! But she did have to admit the new designs were elegant. Despite her and Ozpin being on the roof of the academy, there was relatively little wind as Ironwood's tri-winged shuttle made its descent. No air blast like a helicopter or gunship, just a simple and gentle landing.

The loading ramp underneath the cockpit lowered with a hiss, revealing the tall muscular white uniformed figure of James Ironwood. Ozpin smiled at the sight of his old friend, but it quickly faded when he saw the other people behind him come into view. A young brown haired woman followed close behind Ironwood, her polite smile almost masking the overly ambitious look in her blue eyes. Both Glynda and Ozpin made stern faces when they spotted two white armored men accompany the woman on either side.

"Ozpin! So good to see you, old friend. I take it you're doing well?"

"Only as well as yourself, James." Ozpin nodded humbly. "This is quite a show you're putting on." He looked back up at the soaring fleet overhead.

"Those? Yes, I know it's a bit much. It wasn't my decision to flaunt them so early like this. That was up to the new leaders."

"I see. Well, I think it's best we head inside. It can get chilly this high up on the r-"

The door leading from the roof to the main academy building flung open, nearly sending them off their hinges. The familiar blue hair and dark skin of Kebiin rushed out the door, small pebbles and other particles rising and floating wherever he stepped. His eyes weren't their usual soft amber, but appeared to be a violent yellow, nearly giving the appearance of a faint glow. The whites of his eyes had reddened slightly, but that was because of the tears he had wiped away. The air around him grew colder as he neared the others, his body shaking with rage and fear.

"Mr. Ceibur! What do you think you're-"

" _Usenye!_ " He pushed his hand forward, preventing Glynda from moving closer to the boy and nearly knocking her off of her feet.

"Kebiin, what's wrong!?" Ozpin tried to approach him as well, but the boy only threw up his other hand, repelling him as he did Glynda. Kebiin was about to shout something when his eyes caught the two white armored troops in front of him, and he turned pale. He clutched at his shirt, breathing heavily and rapidly as sweat dripped from his forehead.

"Stormtroopers… TIE fighters… Please, please, this can't be happening…"

Ozpin felt the aetherial pressure on his body cease. He dropped his cane, running to the boy that was now crying on his knees. "Kebiin, what happened? We can't help you if you don't tell us."

"I won't let them take Remnant away from me… I have to protect my home, I have to honor my clan!"

"Kebiin, that was in the past. You're with us now, here at Beacon. You have your team, you have-"

"The Empire is going to want to take you away from me, too! _Val kyrayc an be ner aliit. Ni Kelir draar duumir ibac at banar tug'yc…"_

Ozpin felt his body push away again as Kebiin slowly stood up, glaring at the young woman accompnying Ironwood.

"You… You don't have a Semblance. You feel like you're from…" Kebiin paused as his eyes widened. "...home."

"Kayana, what is he talking about?" James' muscles tightened, preparing for an incoming attack. The troopers next to them raised their rifles, precisely aiming right at Kebiin.

"Sir, I don't know!" She said, obviously nervous. "Professor, is this one of your students? He obviously needs some sort of care! We need to get him help."

" _Usenye, gar hut'uun!_ Don't insult me, I know what you are!"

"Ozpin, I'm sorry, but this is for his own good!"

"James, wait!"

Ironwood motioned to draw a weapon, but he and the two troopers froze, their outlines appearing to haze as they attempted to move. He gritted his teeth, trying to break free of whatever held him in place, but it was a futile effort. This boy… was he restraining everyone on the roof? How could a mere child be that powerful?

Kebiin slowly paced to Kayana, who tried scrambling back into the shuttle. But before she could make it, the door sealed closed. "I know what you are…" He repeated. "I know what you've done. You took my family and home away, and I will never let that happen again!" Still maintaining his grip on everyone else on the roof with his enraged mind, he held out his arm, cupping his hand and tensing his fingers. Kayana felt her neck squeeze from the inside as a powerful low rumble overtook the scene. At this point, Kayana knew who she had found.

Kebiin focused every bit of rage and sorrow into the pain he wanted to inflict on this woman. He could sense it, the lack of Aura and a lingering speck of the Force that was present in all things from home. This woman, the stormtroopers, the ships, they had all arrived to take away what he had come to love yet again. His hand cramped as he let the Force run through it and into the woman's windpipe, conjuring up the memories of his smoldering home and carbon scorched family. His mind floated into visions of the same things happening to Beacon and his team. He pictured the smoking ruins of the academy as it was bombarded by TIE fighters, his friends being lined up into execution lines.

Then, he saw a flash of a masked Kaleesh, standing behind a woman who was kneeling and sobbing. Kebiin nearly forgot to breath when he saw that image. The Inquisitor, ready to murder his mother. Only, when the woman looked up, it wasn't his mother. It was Ruby, but not at the same time… it was also Weiss, and Blake, and Yang, all of them rendered powerless before the Jedi hunter. He saw all of them in his mother, their faces distorted yet all recognizable. In this moment of shock, he involuntarily released his grip on the Imperial woman.

As soon as the power of the Force ceased, Kebiin saw a bright ring of blue engulf him at the sound of a familiar quick energetic blast. One of the stormtroopers had tried stunning him. A fraction of the power he just experienced still flickered within him, keeping him on his feet as the blast overloaded his nervous system. However, the blinding shot was enough to disorient him. He saw the white armored figure point their blaster again, and he raised his hand in retaliation, ready to send them flying off of the roof in his dizzy state. However, his mind wasn't clear enough to muster the strength he needed. In another flash of blue, he was down on the ground, completely limp. He was still conscious and semi-aware of his surroundings, but he was physically useless.

"Get away from him!" He heard Ozpin's voice yell. Kebiin had never heard the professor like this before. He always knew him as calm and collected, but this… this was real anger. The stormtrooper instinctively raised their blasters at the professor, but it was swatted out of their grasp by a quick smack from Ozpin's cane. In an incredible burst of speed, he kicked the trooper back, coming between them and Kebiin's curled body. "You will not touch him!"

"Ozpin! He attacked Kayana! How do you expect to explain this!?" Ironwood shouted.

"He was scared and afraid, this isn't-"

"No, it _is_ his fault!" Ironwood rushed over to the collapsed Kayana, who after a few quick shakes, opened her eyes and rolled over onto her side, clutching at her chest and sputtering as she regained her breath. "She needs medical attention!"

"Don't worry, we can help her." Ozpin tried to regain his cool. "The academy has enough supplies for her, we just need to get her to to medical center."

"Fine." Ironwood said through gritted teeth. "So long as that boy isn't anywhere near her."

Ozpin narrowed his eyes but nodded in agreement. "Glynda, get Kebiin to the hospital and stay with him until I say otherwise."

"But sir!" She protested. "We have no idea what he's been shot with! He needs to get to the school's med center immediately!"

"I understand that." Ozpins said regrettably. "But right now, Kayana is the one that needs the facilities here. I'll talk to you, Kebiin, and his team about it soon. Just get him out of here."

Glynda shot a cold stare at the trooper who had fired. Disarmed, they backed up nervously with their hands raised slightly in the air. Glynda ran back to Kebiin, scooping his limp body bridal-style. She unclipped her small cape, draping it over Kebiin's body like a miniature blanket. As she carried him away in her arms, Kebiin called upon the Force one more time to leave one final shout of defiance.

"Professor Ozpin! You can't trust anything they say! Those ships and stormtroopers aren't from Remnant, they're-"

"Silence!" Ozpin shouted without looking back at him. Kebiin shocked in surprise from the outburst. "I understand. Now, go."

Glynda turned Kebiin back to the door, holding him closer as he began to tear up yet again. With all of their attention diverted at the boy, no one noticed the faint grin on Kayana's face.

* * *

Rowand lost track of how long he had been fighting. Cinder was nowhere in sight, and the lack of any Grimm bodies made it difficult to tell how many he had even killed. However, it was noticeably darker than when this fight had begun. Individually, the Grimm hardly posed a threat to him. His lightsaber cut through them easily and without resistance. But they all came at once, forcing him to leap and make quick strikes for a time that felt endless. Even with the aid of the Force, he could feel his body tiring. He was drenched in sweat, and it didn't help that he was fully armored and robed in a humid swamp. Along with this, he was growing increasingly frustrated. For the entire fight, he had fallen back on the _Niman_ fighting style, trying to empty his mind of emotion to prevent the Grimm from feeding off his usual dark power. But as things dragged on, the idea of falling back to his dark side teachings looked more appealing.

 _"Why do you restrict yourself?"_ A woman's voice echoed in Rowand's head. The words gave him pause long enough for an Ursa to knock his lightsaber out of his hand and pin him to the ground.

" _You utilize the ways that have failed you. Accept what you are, not what you were."_

To Rowand's surprise, the Grimm wasn't trying to kill him. It simply kept him on the ground with its massive paws and claws.

"Where are you!?" Rowand shouted. "Show yourself!"

 _"I am all round you. You've fought and killed me many times in just the past few hours. I can sense what you are, fledgling Bogan."_

Bogan? Rowand knew that term. It was an ancient word used to refer to the dark side, before the Jedi and Sith diverged from one another.

" _Prove your worth, and then I will show myself."_

The Ursa on Rowand's back began to bear its fangs, ready to bite. Rowand instantly let out a Force repulse, sending the creature flying away. He jumped back onto his feet, searching for his lightsaber, but it was nowhere to be found. He looked around, anticipating another wave of Grimm. But there was only the one Ursa that had pinned him, ready to strike. All the others has disappeared, leaving him alone and disarmed against the dark beast.

" _Reach and take what you desire…"_

The Ursa lunged, but Rowand stood his ground. He felt an overwhelming command seize his body, but he felt completely in control. He grasped the Ursa mid-air with the Force, and let his darker emotions take over. He felt the Grimm try to feed of of his anger, but he refused to let it do so. Instead, he began to turn the Grimm's strength into his own. Utilizing a power the likes of which he had never felt before, the Ursa began to fade into dust-like particles which floated into his hand and coursed through his body. Hunger overtook all of Rowand's senses, and in a few moments, the Ursa was gone. Rowand released his grip, his mind racing and his body burning. But as the momentary pain subsided, he stood back up, feeling his connection to the Force strengthened more than ever.

"But how… How did I…"

" _Very good. You have taken your first steps into a larger world."_

The ground beneath Rowand began to drag him into the dirt, sucking him underground. He tried to use his strengthened connection to the Force to break himself free, but he just kept sinking. Soon, he was beyond neck-deep in swamp soil, his helmet the only thing preventing him from suffocating.

" _Don't struggle. You will find what you need soon enough."_

It didn't matter that Rowand was still struggling for freedom. The ground continued to drag him down, and his whole body now gone from the surface.

* * *

Ruby marched angrily down Beacon's halls, her face contorting into several different frustrated, if awkward, expressions. Why on earth did she have to apologize to that Atlas lady? Kebiin simply doesn't hurt people just because he could. He had to have had a reason for what he did. Even if what he did was… scary. It was difficult to see the recording of what happened that day. Him holding out his hand, everyone freezing, and that woman being lifted off of her feet, unable to breathe… But the worst was Kebiin's look. His posture, his face, his eyes… It was unnatural. The intensity, the fury, the pure wrath, it didn't match the Kebiin Ceibur she knew.

She arrived to the door leading to the woman's med room. The door was slightly cracked open, likely by an exiting nurse. Ruby was about to sigh and open the door until she heard the woman speaking.

"-you found him and didn't tell any of us!?"

"He's strong… can barely talk… been out of comission for a few days."

That raspy voice belonged to the Atlas lady, no doubt about that. But the first one was slightly distorted, almost as if it was coming from some sort of speaker. Ruby tilted her silvery eye into the small crack into the door. She saw the brown haired woman still in her bed and white gown, but in her hand was a small blue hologram of a slender black hooded female figure.

"Admiral, if that child has been detained by the local authorities, then this is our chance… MY chance…"

"What do you mean by that? Where is-" The lady coughed before she could finish.

"The other inquisitors?" The hologram said. "Xaelos is scouting the system in search of any possible relics. He won't be on-world for a while. And Rowand…" She paused. "...has gone missing. He went on a mission with his native friend and hasn't come back. I was planning to visit his last known coordinates when you called."

"No longer important…" The woman croaked out. "Take the Jedi during the next prison transfer, and do your duty to the Empire."

"Jedi?" The hologram snorted. "You give the boy too much credit, admiral. He is a mutt, and thus will be dealt with like one."

"Good. Now, get here as soon as possible. I leave the-" Kayana coughed again.

"Leave the details to me? Splendid. I'm on my way."

Ruby turned from the crack in the door as soon as the conversation ended. She leaned up against the wall, her eyes wide with worry. She had no idea what a 'Jedi' or 'inquisitor' was, but she was sure of one thing. Kebiin was in danger, and she had to do something. Completely disregarding that she was supposed to speak with Kayana, she ran down the hall, her mind racing through ways to keep her friend safe.

* * *

Shame and defeat were the worst possible things a Mandalorian could feel. And those emotions had been far too prominent in Kebiin's life as of late. Only now, it was mixed with fear. Dreading and unbearable fear. While he lay trapped in his new hospital room yet again, the Empire patrolled the streets of Vale, parading their superior technology to the people. The citizens were in awe of Atlas' new toys, but Kebiin knew what they were used for. The howling of the TIE fighters that the people were so impressed by had a completely different meaning for Kebiin. The white armored stormtroopers guarding outside his door didn't represent progress or order, they were the very symbol of oppression and suffering back home. And now, injured, beaten, and stuck in bed, Kebiin couldn't do a damned thing about it.

Even though his 'unwarranted attack' on the Imperial officer had him under arrest, professor Goodwitch told him that Ozpin was at least able to soften the punishment. If 'Atlas' had its way, he would be sent back to their homeland for a one-sided trial. But with his headmaster looking out for him, he was able to stay in a Vale hospital room with a functioning TV. But that hardly helped him take his mind off of recent events due to the news. If they weren't showing an Atlas parade or interview, it was about him on Beacon's roof top.

All sorts of footage was taken that day. How long has it been now? Only a week? But it was way more than enough time for the story to become over bloated. Cameras on aircraft and people's personal scrolls on the ground captured the moment in undeniable recordings. Kebiin nearly knocking the rooftop door on its' hinges, him choking the Imperial has he held the others down with his mind, and him getting shot in bright flashes of blue light. Afterwards, headlines read how Kebiin was 'crazed' and 'dangerous'. They even had the gall to call that short stormtrooper a hero for subduing him.

Some had even questioned Ozpin's role as Headmaster on more than one occasion. But if the media kept digging deeper on this story, what would they find? Of course, he doubted the Empire would let them uncover the full truth about them, but what about Kebiin himself? It was completely normal for foreigners to go to other schools, but Kebiin wasn't sure if he was even a formal citizen of Vale, or anywhere for that matter. He didn't register or anything like that when he first came to Remnant. Ozpin had been covering for him this whole time. How would it look if the Headmaster of Beacon let in a completely mysterious and exceptionally powerful boy into his academy without so much as an actual background check?

Kebiin perked up from his sollum state when he sensed a few familiar presences outside his door. Three, in fact. He heard them speaking with the two stormtroopers outside his door, and after some arguing, they begrudgingly decided to open the door.

In a flurry of color, Kebiin felt three simultaneous hugs from his teammates as the door behind them closed shut.

"KEBIIIIIN!" Ruby shouted as she pounced on him. "Are you okay? Did they do anything to you? They didn't let us talk to you for a week, and even when we just now got permission, they still-"

"Let's give him some room to breathe, sis." Yang said, despite still hugging him around the head.

"Yeah… that stun shot really packs a punch…"

"Why do you have to be so reckless?" Weiss sniffed as she wiped away a few tears. "First you nearly got killed the other week, and you rush on ahead into danger like that…"

"Huh?" Kebiin hadn't ever seen Weiss cry so quickly like that before.

"Yeah, you really scared us!" Ruby was tearing up now. "We already came so close to losing you before…"

Kebiin couldn't help but feel guilty at the sight of those girls crying. They along with Penny saved his life. He didn't consider how traumatic that event must've been for them, too. Holding their friend bloody and unmoving had to leave an impact on them. He knew he would've changed a bit had he held one of them in his arms that night instead.

"You're right…" Kebiin admitted. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done what I did. You guys saved my life, and here I go trying to throw it away…"

"Awe man, you people are going to make even me cry at this rate." Yang playfully wiped an imaginary tear from under her lavender eye. "Some badass Huntsmen and Huntresses we are, amiright?"

" _Elek, vi cuyir te jatne."_ Kebiin agreed, smiling.

"Kiddo, I have no idea what you just said, but I'm just going to assume it was 'Yes Yang, you are the greatest! And the cutest, too."

The three of them giggled a bit, momentarily distracting Kebiin from why he was here in the first place. And simply thinking of that made him remember. "So… Atlas." Kebiin's eyes went dull again. "Have they done anything? Said anything?"

"We actually wanted to talk to you about that." Ruby said.

"About why I did what I did?" Kebiin turned from his friends, averting their gaze. Did he look like a monster to them in the footage? What was everyone at school talking about now after his stunt? "I'm sorry, I couldn't control-"

"No that's not it." Weiss interrupted him.

"Huh?"

"Ruby told us about something she saw." Yang said. "I think you're gonna want to hear it."

Kebiin looked at his leader, wondering what was going on.

"To cut to the chase, we're going to bust you out of here."

"W-what!? Do you know how much trouble you could get in for that? How are you going to manage that, anyways?"

"First, yes, I do know how much trouble we could get in. But that doesn't matter. Second, We're still working on a plan. But on that 'how', I imagine we'll just have to do it very, very carefully."

Kebiin sat up straight, looking Ruby right into her silver eyes. "Ruby. You don't joke around with these people after what I did. Do you have any idea how dangerous this is? Do you even know who and what you're dealing with?"

"I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think I have an idea." Ruby clenched her arm, nervous about her next choice of words. "That Kayana lady was talking to another woman on this tiny hologram. She called her an inquisitor, and called you a 'Jedi'. What does that mean?"

Kebiin's blood froze. He momentarily forgot how speak, how to move, and how to even breath. Before, He thought he was defending his new home from the Empire as an invasion. They would've destroyed Remnant and his team like the naturally did to everything else. But now, they would be after him specifically. Not because of any legal reasons or assault, but because they had identified him as a Jedi. And they had the perfect weapon to dispose of him with.

"Kebiin, I want you to answer us. Please." Ruby had to shake him to regain his attention. "You freaked out when you saw the ships and soldiers. Did they have anything to do with your family?"

Kebiin's mind was racing again. The same state of mind whenever he had to come up with a lie. Is that what he should do again? Lie? Was it really best to tell them everything now? The people he had told so far believed him, and he could explain where Atlas got their new tech. But if they knew, and the Empire found out they knew, yet more family would be taken away from him. That was something he was never going to allow ever again. So for the time being, he had to keep doing what he had been this whole time on Remnant. Tell half-truths.

"...yes." Kebiin admitted. "Those ships, weapons, armor… inquisitors… they were all there when they killed my family."

A silence hung in the room for a moment. How were the others supposed to respond? The hadn't been able to get this much out of him before. Weiss decided to break the quiet first.

"Then… was it Atlas who did it?"

"I don't know." Kebiin replied.

"It doesn't matter." Yang said. "What matters right now is that they and this 'inquisitor' had something to do with it, and that they now want to hurt Kebiin. I could care less about the details at the moment, we can figure that out later. Right now, we need to find a way to get Kebiin to safety.

"Yang…" Kebiin smiled at her graciously. "Thanks."

"No problem, kid." She said. "We protect our own."

"Agreed." Weiss and Ruby nodded.

"Hey!" A voice came from the other side of the door, followed by several banging noises. "Visiting time is over!"

"Honorless bucket-heads…" Kebiin said through gritted teeth. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang all gave their final hugs to Kebiin before leaving, promising to get him out as soon as possible. Kebiin thanked them, and sighed as the exited the room.

Before the door opened, Ruby turned over her shoulder to ask one last question. "Hey, you never told us what a Jedi was…"

"I'll… tell you later." Kebiin told her. Ruby nodded as she exited out. Now all they had to do was come up with a plan.

* * *

James Ironwood walked into his protege's room at the sound of her usual nationalistic humming. She was no longer hooked up to any equipment, and her voice had been returning to normal after what the doctors revealed was some sort of 'internal strangulation.' She was sitting up straight in her bed, twiddling her thumbs with the hints of a grin across the corners of her mouth. The kind of look someone made when they received good news. She turned her head to face her mentor at the sound of the creaking door.

"Mr. Ironwood!" She said excitedly. "I'm so glad you're okay, I thought that student might've tried to hurt you, too."

"And I didn't expect you to be sounding so eager after your little ordeal." James chuckled. The girl always did radiate positivity. "Thank you for thinking about me, but you need to be sure to look out for yourself, too. Be sure to take things easy, alright?"

"Of course, Mr. Ironwood." She saluted. "Is there any word on why that boy attacked us?"

James propped up a chair and sighed before speaking. "I spoke with Professor Ozpin about it. He was a little reluctant to give us any information on that student, but I understand that to a degree."

"You understand that?" Kayana raised an eyebrow. "But he attacked us in broad daylight without provocation! Surely someone as smart as the acclaimed Professor Ozpin wouldn't side against the victims in this case?"

"I tried to get him to understand that too, but protecting his own students is his highest priority, just like it is mine."

"But I still have trouble comprehending the mindset." Kayana said. "Siding with the perpetrator of an obvious crime."

"You don't have to agree with it, but it's still good to understand it." James said. "Seems you've still got quite a bit to learn."

"But that's why I've got you, general." Kayana smiled.

There was a brief moment of silence between the two as James decided on what he was going to say next. Of course, he had to look out for his student, but something was still bothering him about the day of the attack.

"Kayana, do you have any sort of connection with that boy? Do you know him by any chance?"

She shook her head. "I know his name is Kebiin Ceibur from what the doctors told me, but I've never seen him before in my life."

"Is that so?" He sat up a little straighter. "He claimed that he knew who you were during the attack. That you 'took away his family and home.' What does that mean?"

Kayana could only shake her head again. "Sir, I have no idea. It's possible he might've mistaken me for someone else, and it would be tragic if he did indeed lose family in the past, but I wouldn't know of it. I've lived in Atlas my whole life and I've never committed any crimes, let alone murder. I'm just as clueless about this whole thing as anyone else."

James nodded, but even though he received a straight-forward answer, the words and actions of this boy were all too genuine. He had seen similar fear and anger before in people who had lost loved ones to Grimm, and his reaction was all too real. Despite having faith in his protege, he would have to look into this further. "Understood" he told her. "Since Mr. Ceibur is recovering, he's going to be transferred to a more secure facility later today. A lot of news channels have been asking about interviewing you, as well. Is that something you'd want to do?"

"Well… sort of, actually." She said. "I wanted to see if I could talk to Mr. Ceibur myself."

"Really?" James said disbelievingly. "I didn't expect you'd want that so soon."

"I want answers like everyone else." Kayana said determinedly.

"But he could try to harm you again." James protested.

"Even if he can freeze us, stunning him worked the last time. If things go south, we'll just have some troops ready to shoot if necessary."

"I don't know…" James stood up, scratching the side of his head. "Considering what happened last time…"

"Sir, please." Kayana gripped her sheets tightly as she looked in his eyes. "I have to know why. I'll have it under control."

James was about to protest, but he knew the girl well enough to see that she wasn't going to give up. He sighed, giving in to her request. "Fine." He said. "If it's important to you, I'll allow it. But I want those two troopers with you while you talk to him. They seem pretty capable."

"Thank you sir!" She said graciously, saluting from her bed again.

James left the room, feeling nervous about his decision. He knew that if under heavy surveillance, they could keep Kayana safe from Ceibur, but he didn't know how unstable the boy might be. Would he try anything this time? And there was the matter with what he said to Kayana. She said she had nothing to do with the boy at all, but part of him felt admittedly doubtful. He needed to figure out his next course of action.

* * *

Kayana and James arrived to the door of Kebiin Ceibur's hospital room and greeted by the two guards standing by his door. Kayana smiled at both of them, and turned her head to the shorter one.

"Aren't you the one who stunned that boy and saved my life?"

"Y-yes ma'am." She said a little nervously. Kayana couldn't even tell there was a girl underneath that white armor. She sounded pretty young, meaning that she was one of the training cadets they had brought from their home galaxy.

"What's your service ID?"

"DN-3017, ma'am."

"I still don't understand why you insist on these numbers for them, Kayana." James said.

"It's for their own, protection sir." Kayana said, despite knowing the truth. "Elite military police shouldn't expose their lives to the public. Someone may come after them or their families. This way, they remain anonymous."

James nodded but was still a little unsure of the idea.

"DN-3017, would you and your fellow trooper care to accompany me while I speak with Mr. Ceibur? I want this to be sort of private, but you've saved my life before. Can I trust you again with that?"

"Of course, ma'am." The other trooper said.

"Very good. James, you're still okay if you wait out here?"

James sighed, obviously uneasy about this whole thing. "You said you would have it under control, and I trust you and the military police."

"Thank you." Kayana nodded and opened the door, the two stormtroopers following close.

* * *

Kebiin sensed them even before they opened the door. Rage fumed within him as she stepped into the room, her troopers closing the door behind them. It was sickening to be stuck in a room with Imperials. Those droids of human beings called stormtroopers and their cowardly commanders brought fear and dishonor to the galaxy, corrupting everything they touched. He would've finished the job he started when he first choked Kayana, but he remembered his words to his team. He didn't want to make them afraid for him again. Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, he allowed them to walk up to his bed.

"Kebiin Ceibur." The woman said snobbishly. "Raised as an orphan on the streets, surviving off of the charity of local gangs, escaped your life of filth by enrolling in a school of lowly monster hunters." She scoffed at him, giving him a smile that radiated superiority. "That may be fitting for a Mandalorian, but not a Jedi, don't you think?"

"I thought you would at least have the decency to lie about your identity, Imperial." Kebiin glared at her. "I know what you are, _hut'uun ures ijaat."_

"I know you do, _Jetiise adiik."_ Kebiin's eyes widened at the sound of his own language.

"I am not a child!"

"The fact that you never faced the _verd'goten_ begs to differ." Kayana sneered. "You never had the chance to face that barbarous rite of passage, did you? And now that you're here, you never will. You will _always_ be a child to your own culture."

"How do you even know that? Those words are only spoken by Mandalorians."

"You're right, child of clan Ceibur." Kayana curled the corner of her mouth into a smile. "Your clan has been removed from the homeworld for far too long. The Empire has made us whole again. Now there is no more Deathwatch, no more grabs for the title of Mandalore. Now we fly under the flag of unity."

Kebiin nearly forgot how to move or speak when he heard what Kayana had just said. How could _she_ be Mandalorian? She was an Imperial, embodying everything he despised, but she was born to a culture of honor, just like him. Or at least, she should have been. Was their homeworld really that different from where he was born? Did she even have a real clan? Or even traditional warrior training?

...was there a reason his clan decided to live away from Mandalore?

"You're lying…" Kebiin murmured. "Not a single one of us would ever join _them_!" Kebiin raised his voice as he felt anger overtake him. "You sold your honor to the enemy! You're a traitor to your family! How dare you call yourself Mandalorian!"

Kayana simple waved her finger, making little 'tsk, tsk' noises with her mouth. "Now, now, _adiik_. You better behave or else bad things might happen." Kebiin looked up to see the stormtroopers raising their blasters at him. One of them had their weapons set to kill, but the shorter one still had theirs on stun. Was that the same one that shot him before?

Realizing what would happen if he got out of hand again, Kebiin exhaled slowly and tried to let his body relax. Even so, his anger burned like a furnace in his chest. "Why are you even here? Just to gloat?"

"Partially, yes." Kayana shrugged nonchalantly. "But I also wanted to remind you what could happen if you spoke a word about us to anyone."

"What could you possibly to do me that you Imperials already haven't?"

"A great many things, young warrior." Kayana said cooly. "But torture aside, I doubt we have to do anything new to you to make you suffer. I know the basics of how your mind works, Kebiin. We prize family above all else, right? Yours were taken away, and then you were brought to a school to join a team. You're both a child and a Mandalorian. I don't have to investigate anything to know you would come to view them as family. It's basic psychology given your heritage."

Kebiin felt himself go completely pale. His pupils dilated as his eyes widened, sweat now dripping from his forehead. He knew it. They wanted to take his family away again.

"If you want to protect them, you will stay silent and cooperate. You know what will happen if you don't."

Kebiin didn't even hear Kayana's words. All he heard was the screams, blaster fire, and TIEs soaring overhead as his village was set ablaze. He was weak and without honor, unable to protect those he loved or seek vengeance against those who took their lives. But now, he had the chance to do that. He and Revan both knew he was exceptionally powerful. He would drive the Empire off of Remnant himself if he had to. He could do it if he let himself be powerful.

"I will never let you hurt anyone ever again."

"Hmm?" Kayana was in the middle of some speech when Kebiin interrupted her. Kebiin bent the Force to his will, crushing the blaster of the stormtrooper that was aiming to kill, and sent him flying across the room and into the door, breaking it off of its' hinges and colliding with the general standing outside. They both lay on the ground unconscious.

The second shorter stormtrooper was shaking as they fired a ringed stun shot at him, but Kebiin raised his hand right before they pulled the trigger, allowing him enough time to stop the blast just as it exited the barrel. Concentrating with everything he had, Kebiin sent the blue ring flying into the stormtrooper, who instantly fell to the floor. Their helmet rolled off of their head, revealing a young girl with short hair. Now he knew what the person who shot him looked like.

"You fool!" Kayana yelled at him. "An Inquisitor is on their way as we spe-" Kebiin levitated the stormtrooper girl's blaster into his hand, and stunned the Imperial commander. She fell to the ground, unconscious and completely limp.

Kebiin's initial burst of anger and power faded for a brief moment. His head cleared, and he realized what he had just done. He hadn't killed anyone, but knowing the Empire, this was more than enough reason for them to kill him. He had to disregard whatever plan Ruby had come up with the sneak him out. Now, he would have to break out himself. He lept out of his hospital bed, slung Kayana over his shoulder, and proceeded out the door with the blaster in hand. He wouldn't be able to turn back now.

* * *

"Okay Weiss, you sure you know how to fly this thing?" Ruby said as they boarded the small airship normally used for missions.

"Erm… yes." Weiss said as she fiddled around in the pilot's seat. "I had a little practice back home since Father could afford this sort of thing."

"Well, hopefully it'll be good enough."

"Good enough?" Weiss scoffed. "I'm a capable pilot! Just… out of practice."

"Hey, could we make this quick?" Yang said as she boarded. "Stealing this thing is gonna get us in huge trouble, so I'd rather be out and do this fast enough that we don't get caught and in trouble."

"Do you want me to crash this thing in our haste?" Weiss said as she put on some headphones and a mic.

"I thought you said you were a good pilot?" Ruby said.

"I said I was a capable one!" Weiss shouted back. "Okay, let's do this." Weiss flipped a few switched, and the engines began to kick up. The doors to the school's hanger opened, and the airship rocked back and forth a little too roughly for Ruby's liking. But as soon as they were out the doors, Weiss finally stabilized the craft with her overly tense fingers. "I can do this… I can do this…"

"So, we all know how this is going to work?" Yang said.

"Yup!" Ruby responded. "Kebiin's room is near the top floor, so we'll hover just above the roof and enter that way. I'll speed in, grab Kebiin while no one's looking, and Weiss will fly us away to safety."

"Yeah, easy as saving time in a bottle…" Yang murmured. "So, what was my part in that plan again?"

"Emotional support." Ruby said a little too plainly.

"Right… like that'll help if we're being chased."

"No, but those two long-range shotguns on your wrists will!" Weiss shouted from the cockpit. "If those things can shoot a giant bird out of the air, I'm sure it'll work just fine with ships if worst comes to worst."

"Let's just hope it doesn't…"

The three of them arrived to the hospital, and Weiss began lowering their altitude to be level with the roof. Ruby was just about to step down and speed through the roof door when it flung open, revealing a terrified Kebiin holding a gun and… Kayana? The moment he saw the three of them on the airship, his face contorted in several expressions of confusion and disbelief.

"You stole an airship!?" He shouted.

"It was the best we could think of!" Ruby said. "Now, c'mon, we can complain later!"

Kebiin rolled his eyes and lept on, setting down Kayana and he closed the door to the rest of the building with his mind.

"We good to go!?" Weiss shouted from her seat.

"Take it away, snowflake!"

"Yes, si- Hey, what did you just call me!?"

"Just fly!"

Weiss mumbled to herself with a pout face as she jerked on the control stick, lifting them into the air and taking them away from the building.

Yang looked over at Ruby nervously when she saw the unconscious Kayana laying across the floor. Ruby simply shrugged but they both shared the same worried expression. Kebiin was slumped against the metal wall, still holding the gun and covering his eyes with his forearm.

"Umm… how did you get out?" Ruby finally asked.

"I used her as a hostage." Kebiin pointed to the young woman on the floor.

"You what!?" Yang stared at him with her mouth open.

"What's going on back there?" Weiss tilted her head back to the cabin.

"Eyes on the sky, Weiss!"

"Dear lord, is that who I think it is!?"

"Weiss, I'll let you know everything once we've landed, alright?" Kebiin said impatiently. Weiss gulped but did as told.

"What happened back there?" Yang tried to place a hand on Kebiin's shoulder, but he shrugged her off.

"I'm so stupid…" He muttered. "They're going to be coming after you too, now…"

"What do you mean, what happened?"

"She threatened to take you away, just like mom and dad…" Kebiin pointed to Kayana. "I got so angry, I just… I wasn't going to let it happen."

"She's not… dead, is she?" Ruby asked.

"No, no… just stunned." Keiin looked down at his blaster. "Just like the rest of the upper floor of the hospital."

"You fought your way through all the security?" Yang said, allowing a sliver of her voice to sound impressed.

"Are they going to chase you?"

"After a while, yeah." Kebiin sighed. "I'm so sorry, I never should've dragged you into this."

"No, don't be sorry." Ruby assured him. "We're a family. We take care of each other."

"Family?" Kebiin dropped his blaster and gave his leader a big hug. " _Vor entye,_ Ruby. Thank you…"

A little surprised by the sudden hug, Ruby hugged him back. When Kebiin broke the embrace, he stared back at Kayana, his mind racing on what the future would hold.

"There are questions I have to ask her. You need to drop me off somewhere secluded and go back to Beacon as soon as possible. If they see you with me, you'll all get arrested. I don't want that for any of you."

"No, we're staying with you until you're safe." Yang said. "If we just leave you in the middle of nowhere, you're by no means safe."

"Yang, this isn't up for discussion!" Kebiin shouted at her. "I've already had a family taken away from me! Do you think I'm going to let that happen again?"

Yang opened her mouth to respond, but fell silent once she didn't find the words. How could you argue against something like that?

"Hey, do you guys hear that?" Ruby said.

"I'm picking something up on the scanners." Weiss said a little nervously. "It looks like-"

The entire ship shook violently as a flash of green light collided with their wing, followed by a loud and eerie howl.

"We're going down!" Weiss screamed. "I can't control it!"

Kebiin managed to get a look at the ground below, which they were quickly plummeting to. He recognized the lazy patterns of the streets and run-down grey buildings.

"It's the old ghetto where I used to live!" Kebiin told his team. "I'm going to try to soften our crash, but brace for impact! I think I might know a place where we can hide!"

"Hey, all I care about is that we don't explode!"

"Right, I've got it covered!"

Everyone screamed as they plummeted to the ground, the air whipping their hair and faces as the held onto seats and hooks. Kayana's eyes fluttered open, but burst wide once she realized she was in a crashing ship.

" _Meg narir!?_ What the hell did you do!?" She screamed at Kebiin as she grabbed Yang's leg for dear life. Kebiin tuned her out, and stretched his arm, waiting for the right time.

"Uhh… the ground is getting a lot bigger!"

"Just another second…"

"Kebiin!?"

"Got it!" Kebiin reached out, grabbing the ship with the Force just before it hit the ground, giving them enough height to safely jump out onto the ground and low enough to confuse the TIE's tracking. Weiss was the first to leap out into the dirty, empty ghetto streets.

"Oh ground, how I've missed you…"

Everyone else exited the craft, and Kebiin followed soon after. Yang kept a grip on Kayana's arm to keep her from escaping, but instead of looking like someone who just got kidnapped, she was eyeing Yang head to toe as if she were checking her out.

"Say, how old are you?"

"Oh, shut up." Yang rolled her eyes.

'Some official Imperial' Kebiin thought as he let go of the ship. Before he turned away, he noticed the little fire that had grown where the TIE had shot them. Small red particles of Dust were seeping out, slowly trickling down to the fire.

"Move! It's gonna blow!" Kebiin used the Force to push everyone away from the ship, and quickly used the Force himself to dash away from the booming fireball that was their transport.

"So much about keeping this low key…"

"You said you knew a place to hide?"

"I might." Kebiin looked around, recognizing the broken windows of the buildings and the empty streets. "This way." Kebiin ran into a small space between two collapsing apartment complexes. The others followed closely, allowing him to lead the way as a group of shaggy looking civilians gathered around to see what was with all the commotion.

* * *

Kebiin ran through the cramped spaces and alley ways of the ghetto, ignoring the familiar putrid stench and constant dampness of the streets. He would occasionally look back at his teammates to make sure they were still behind him. Given the situation, most of them didn't complain about the cleanliness of the place, other than Weiss who would occasionally gag or shiver whenever she came across something exceptionally gross. But considering that they had been running long enough to see the sun setting, saying that they were complaining in any way was discrediting. Kayana wasn't putting up much of a fight either, recognizing that Yang could easily kneecap her if she wanted to. Either that, or she had too much faith in her Empire to rescue her.

After a few minutes of running and avoiding TIE scans, Kebiin finally found the place he was looking for. From the outside, it was just a dirty door barely visible from the main street. The building it was connected to was run down like most buildings in the area, but this place had been safe for a brief period of time when Kebiin was just a kid.

"In here!" Kebiin quickly used the Force to dismantle the lock on the solid door, holding it open for everyone else before he quickly shut the door behind him. The sun made its final dip down the sky as the searchlights on the TIEs above switched on.

Everyone, even Kayana, immediately slumped down either against the peeling walls or the dusty chairs and sofas. Yang got up first to examine the place, instantly recognizing the design of the long island table and the shelves of bottles behind it.

"Is this a bar?"

"Of course you're the first one to figure that out, considering it's all covered in dust." Weiss panted.

"Hey, I've been enough bars to know what one looks like! It's nothing to be ashamed of! Even if it is old and full of dirt..."

Kebiin walked around the room a bit, running his hand along the old tables and trinkets decorating the place. "Yeah." Kebiin said, his voice heavy with nostalgia. "The owner of this place was nice enough to let me stay on some nights when I first cra- I mean when I was on my own."

"You mean like… you would crash here?" Ruby said.

"Yeah, yeah… that's what I meant…" Kebiin said, making sure not to look at his leader when saying that. "The owner was tough enough to keep some of the gangs from fighting while drinking here. But a fight broke out one day and I guess he got caught in the crossfire. I wasn't around for it. No one really came back after that. He kept the peace so with him gone, it was just too dangerous to use this as a hang out."

"Why didn't you stay here then?" Ruby asked. "If no one else came by?"

"It just didn't feel right. Dishonorable, I suppose..." Kebiin shot a quick look at Kayana, who was simply sitting in a chair across from Yang, who was still keeping a very observant eye on her. "... which is more than I can say for _her_."

"Oh, me?" Kayana laughed. " _Manda'yaim cuyir jate'shya jii. Nayc or'atu pirimmur par ijaat._ "

Kebiin's team went completely silent when they heard Kebiin's language coming from someone else's mouth. A million ideas and questions must've been going through their heads, but Kebiin didn't care.

"How dare you! 'No more use for honor', you're nothing but a traitor! _Aruetii! Hut'uun! Osi'yaim!"_

"Ouch, that hurt…" Kayana softly gasped and she fluttered her hand over her heart. "Who are you to judge me, _ad'ika_? Your little lost tribe has been gone from our affairs for decades. Besides, you're only a 'mutt', _ge'sol jetiise."_

"Kebiin, who the hell is she?" Yang said as she stood up, slamming the dusty table to stop Kayana's snickering.

The sudden kick up of dust caused Kebiin's eyes to water. He shielded his face, coughing into his sleeve. After the air had cleared, Kebiin raised both his hands and gave a slight push with the Force around the corners of the building. All the dust and dirt that had accumulated over the years quickly expelled into another room, leaving the main bar clean and easy to breath in.

"Woah." Ruby said as she looked at the now neat and tidy room. "That was cool." Even in these tense situations, she still had the emotional room to be impressed. Typical Ruby.

After Kebiin's little display, he pulled up a chair and sat down, leaning forward and resting his forehead against his palm.

"She's not Atlas, I can tell you that."

"How?" Weiss asked. "I recognize her now! You're Kayana, General Ironwood's personal protege and head of the science division!"

"You're right, Ms. Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company." Kayana nodded at Weiss.

"Don't you dare talk to her!" Kebiin spat at Kayana. "You sold yourself to a foreign power, trading the pride and honor of our people in exchange for what? Subjugation? Humiliation?"

"Pretty big words for a child." Kayana snorted. "I'm impressed."

"Don't mock me!"

"And I personally didn't 'sell our people out.' It was the will of Mandalore's people that we gave up our independance. Only a quick read in the history books or a conversation with your parents or grandparents will tell you why we are better off this way." Kayana looked around the room and at the team, crossing her legs comfortably and placing a finger against the corner of her lips. "Does that answer any of your questions by any chance? Mr. Ceibur and I are of the same heritage. Did you tell them what you are in full detail? And I do mean _full_ detail."

"We may have the same roots, but you and I are nothing alike! I carry the pride of my clan, while you renounced yours!"

"Boy, have you even been to Mandalore? If you knew the strife of your own people, you would've welcomed the Empire with open arms."

"I would never!"

"Your clan ran away from the problems of our people rather than stay and make things better! I'd say I am more of a loyalist than your cowardly 'family' ever could be."

"That's not true…"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" A flash of yellow light and burst of intense heat filled the room, silencing both Kebiin and Kayana. Yang was standing up, her fist right against Kayana's cheek, threatening to shoot her with an infuriated look in her now crimson eyes. "I don't know who you are, or how you and Kebiin came from the same place. Right now, I just want _you_ to shut the hell up, and for _you_ to give us a strait answer after we got ourselves into this damned mess!" She pointed first at Kayana, then at Kebiin.

"Do you plan to tell them _everything_ , Ke-" Yang cut off Kayana's words with a hard backhand across her cheek.

"I told you to shut up, didn't I?"

Kayana grimaced, but didn't bother to feel her reddened cheek. She was too spiteful to show that the smack had hurt.

The rest of the team looked back to Kebiin, he was hanging his head low in a sign of defeat. Did he have to tell them? Right here and now, under these circumstances? Part of him planned to keep this secret from his whole team, make them believe that he was just a normal boy. But then he remembered those moments he shared with Blake. It felt great to get such a burden off of his chest, but Blake disappeared virtually right after. Would the rest of his friends disappear too if he told them?

"Guys, I…" Kebiin knew the words he wanted to get out, but he was having plenty of trouble actually saying them. "I'm… I'm not what you think I am. Kayana isn't what you think she is. Atlas isn't what you think it is."

"Well… then maybe start with just you?" Ruby suggested innocently. Kebiin didn't even smile at Ruby's usual youthful tone. All he could muster was a pathetic whimper of a laugh.

"I know you won't believe me, but I want you to know that a liar like me wouldn't tell a story like this unless it was true."

"A liar? Kebiin, what are you talking about?" Ruby tried to approach him with a concerned look, but he flinched away.

"I'm not what you think I am… Kayana and I, we're from-"

The doors of the bar exploded in a cloud of dust and shrapnel. A faint howling could be heard from the now gaping hole in the wall. Kebiin was knocked against the wall, covered in debris. After the ringing in his ears ended, he quickly scrambled to his feet. Using the Force to brush away the stone and steel covering him, he shouted for his teammates.

"Ruby!"

"Right here…" Her voice groaned from among the dust cloud.

"Don't worry sis, I've got you!" Yang was already on her feet, lifting a table off of her sister. The most damage she seemed to have sustained was a few scrapes and scratches. "Rubes, how you feelin'?"

"I think I might've broken somethi- OW!" Yang was pulling her sister up by her left arm, which was an obvious mistake. Instead of its usually seemingly thin but solid build, it felt somewhat squishy and looked out of place. Yang felt against Ruby's arm as she winced in pain, feeling for where it had been broken.

"Ugh… how bad?" Ruby asked, still dazed.

"Not bad…" Yang sighed in relief. "Once you're back at Beacon, they can patch you up no pro-"

"Hey… where's Weiss?" Ruby scanned the room for their teammate. Kebiin did the same, extending his senses with the Force while he was at it to tell if she was under any rubble. He instantly found Kayana's unconscious but alive body, but Weiss…"

"She's hurt!" Kebiin struggled to lift a massive piece of wall off of the ground, slowly levitating it away with the Force. Underneath was Weiss' now dirtied frame. He could sense that she was still alive, but he ran over to see the severity of her injuries. "Weiss! C'mon Weiss, talk to me!" Kebiin pleaded as he patted her face. She groaned loudly as her eyes fluttered.

"Kebiin? What… what happened?"

Kebiin scanned her body, quickly finding the thin metal rod that had imbedded itself into her abdomen.

"Oh wow… my stomach hurts a lot…" She motioned her hand to check the source of the pain, but Kebiin quickly took it into his own hand instead.

"Weiss, you're gonna be okay, you hear me?" Kebiin squeezed her hand reassuringly. "You're going to be fine."

The moment was interrupted when a faint beeping finally became noticeable after all of the chaos. A small red light was blinking on Kayana's wrist under her sleeve. An emergency locater.

"You… you brought them here again!" Kebiin yelled at the unconscious woman. "I swear, once I'm through with you, you won't even-" Kebiin's words were halted by a strained cough coming from Weiss. Specks of blood stained the concrete Weiss was facing. Realizing that this wasn't the place for revenge, justice, or anything of the like, he had to swallow his pride. Ruby was injured and Weiss could die. He needed to get them out.

Kebiin carried Weiss over to the main bar where Ruby and Yang were standing and gently put her down. "I know we can't do much, but do everything you can to keep her alive." Kebiin looked back over to Ruby. "How's the arm?"

"It sucks…" Ruby moaned "... but Weiss matters more. I'll be fine."

"So any ideas on how to get out of this one?"

Kebiin glanced back over at Kayana's locater. If he remembered correctly, that particular model should be able to access open communication channels despite being just an emergency location device. Both Atlas and Vale would likely be looking to capture him more than his teammates. He had to get them to safety, and they couldn't be safe while on the run.

"Yang, I'm sorry. Tell them that I threatened you, mind-controlled you, or something else against your will."

"Kebiin? What are you talking about?"

Kebiin quickly found the E-11 blaster he had brought with him from the hospital and levitated it into his hand. He wriggled Kayana's device off of her wrist, and began broadcasting to any nearby radio channels.

"Attention Atlas and Vale forces!" He began. "I have four female hostages. Three Beacon students and an Atlas officer. If you still want them alive, you will cease any further attacks from the air!" Kebiin paused, waiting for a response. He had to assume that the Vale police would now be involved in this, and that the TIE that shot at them was following orders from the Imperials, not the police. The cops would be more concerned with their lives, and would have to force Atlas not to make any deadly moves just yet. At least, that's what he hoped for.

" _This is the Vale Police Department. We demand that you release the hostages and surrender yourself at once!"_

"Looks like they got the message."

"Kebiin, what are you doing!?" Yang hissed over to him. "We're here to help you, not-"

"No, Yang." Kebiin let go of the comm button momentarily to make sure no one on the other end would hear. "I forced you to help break me out. That's the story you and the others are going to tell."

"But-"

Kebiin reactivated the comm functions, listening in on the new transmission. " _But sir!"_ Someone protested. _"They helped him escape! In the name of Atlas, I can't_ -"

 _"Didn't you hear him? This is a hostage situation now! We can work out the details after this is over! Now, order your units not to make any more attacks from the air!"_

 _"...Yes sir."_

Good. Now they _had_ to keep his team alive.

 _"What are your demands?"_ The policeman finally asked.

 _"_ I might be willing to let the students go." Kebiin said as menacingly as he could. "But if you try to come after me, Kayana dies."

 _"How dare you!"_ The Atlas voice hissed.

 _"Fine!"_ The cop said. _"Will you let her go afterwards?"_

"I might." This time, what Kebiin said was true. But either way, once he left with Kayana, they would make measures to subdue him and free her. They wouldn't just let him make off with an Atlas official.

Another transmission began coming from the communicator, but Kebiin threw it onto the floor, crushing it beneath his boot. He need to get out of here, fast. They would send in a team to get his friends, where they would be treated for their wounds and hopefully be forgiven of any crimes now that they were 'hostages.' Kebiin hauled Kayana, who was now beginning to wake up, off the floor. He pulled her by the arm out what used to be the door, training the blaster right against her head.

"Kebiin, wait!" He heard Ruby shriek from behind. "Please don't leave us! We're family, we have to stick together! Please don't go like… like…" Ruby was tearing up too much to continue.

"Like Blake?" Kebiin gave her a faint smile of reassurance. "I swore to myself that I'd never let my family be hurt ever again. If I stay with you after what I've done, you won't ever be safe. I don't want it to be that way."

"I don't care!" She screamed. Yang was having to hold her back now. "You have to be with us! We need to stick together! Why are you being so selfish!?"

"I'm leaving for your sakes, Ruby." Kebiin was doing his best to hold back his tears. "I'm glad I could be with all of you… _Aliit ori'shya tal'din._ "

Ruby was silent now. She remembered that phrase from when he first joined what would become team RWBBY. 'Family is more than bloodline.' She didn't know how to respond, simply letting her tears roll down her cheek. Kebiin gave one more glance at Yang, who nodded understandingly.

"Stay safe." Yang said as her own tears began developing. "Remember, we love you!"

Kebiin gave one last smile at them before running out into the night time streets, pulling the waking Kayana behind him. Soon after he disappeared into the ghetto, several police cars and an ambulance pulled up at what used to be the door to the bar. Ruby and Yang wiped away their tears, remembering that they now had to pretend to fear the boy they thought of as their brother.

* * *

When Rowand opened his eyes, he was laying across a cold black stone floor. There was virtually no light, prompting him to switch on the night vision in his helmet. But when he went to do so, he realized that it had been removed. Great. Now both his saber and helmet were missing. He stood up, trying to reach out with the Force to sense anything in the dark.

 _"Tell me, what do you see?_ " It was the voice of the woman again.

"It's her…" Rowand murmured. "I can't see anything." He replied, deciding to play along.

" _Precisely. Nothing. Now, turn around and tell me what you see next."_

"Turn around? It's completely black. What am I supposed to see?" Turning as he asked the question, his heart nearly skipped a beat when he realized the scene behind him was entirely different. Before him a sprawling meadow, with a large but short and humble building out in the distance. He turned around again to see if the blackness was still behind him, but it wasn't. He was in an entirely different scene. When he looked back around to where he was 'supposed to look', he was inside the building he saw from afar. The walls were made of neatly cut reddish brown wood, and the ceiling was ever so slightly domed. Around him, children gathered around a large cherry blossom tree beneath an opening in the ceiling that allowed sunlight to flow in. Each of the children were wearing lightly colored robes, all of them laughing and giggling as they levitated various objects in the air. Rowand felt something bump against his leg, only to look down and see a familiar blue-haired child.

"You're always so clumsy, Rowand!" A little girl laughed.

"Shut up, Azrilin!" The boy yelled, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, sir! I-I didn't mean to bump into you like that…"

Rowand began to shake. What was this? What was this woman trying to show him?

"Sorry mister, my brother is kind of a screw-up." The little girl joked.

"No I'm not!" The boy protested. "You're the one who's always screwing up in training!"

"I am not! You totally are!"

"No, YOU are!" The two were about to get into a heated shouting match when they were interrupted by the sounds of Rowand's sobs. He pressed his palms against his eyes, trying to keep the tears away. The two children immediately stopped their argument, perplexed that a grown man was crying. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Instead, Rowand fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around both children and hugging them close.

"Please, don't yell at each other…" He whimpered. "You're siblings, you have to count on one another. You're all you've got… Be nice, understand?"

"Sir?"

"I'm sorry…" Rowand openly cried. "I'm so sorry, both of you… I'm so, so sorry…" Rowand's tears were interrupted at the sound of a lightsaber ignition, causing him to look up out of instinct. He was holding the crimson blade, impaling an adult figure that was holding a deactivating lightsaber in their hand. The now lifeless body slumped down, and Rowand was standing before it.

"That was the last one." His sister's adult voice said.

"Azrilin?"

"That was the last Jedi in the area. Xaelos wants us back at Coruscant." His sister, now a young adult, was standing above several bodies of their own, each with smoldering marks where her blade had struck them down. Her eyes were dull and their lids heavy, devoid of the eagerness of the child Rowand saw a second earlier. She was clad in slightly damaged black armor, the Imperial insignia clear and bright on her shoulder pauldron.

"Rowand? You alright? You look like you were just crying."

Rowand's saber deactivated as he raised his sleeve to wipe away the tears, but when he opened his eyes again, everything was back to complete blackness.

" _What did you see?_ "

"Why did you show me that!?" Rowand shouted into the darkness. "Cinder said you were powerful and wise! Those memories hold no meaning for me!"

" _You're wrong. Your past is what creates what you are. Even the act of trying to bury it will influence your present self. So tell me, what did you see?"_

Rowand swallowed before responding. "The child I was… and the weapon I am now."

" _And if that was your past and present self, what do you see now?"_

"Nothing. It's too dark."

" _Exactly. Nothing. The future is always in motion. Uncertain and unwritten. What do you want for your future?"_

Rowand clenched his fist and closed his eyes. He could almost see the blue-haired child that bumped into him a few moments ago. The little weakling that was him. "Power." He responded. "I want power."

" _Why? You apologized to yourself and your sister. Do you regret what the two of you would become? That path led you to power, yet you would seek more?"_

"The power I have isn't enough! I am proud of neither self! My past was weak and naive, and my current self isn't strong enough to break his chains! He loves those naive children too much!"

" _Is that such a terrible thing? Love isn't something you should have to rid yourself of. If you truly love those children, you will become strong for them. Use your power to accept the destruction of your past self, not ignore it. Can you promise me that you will try that much?"_

"No." Rowand said assertively. "I won't try, I will simply do it."

The darkness around Rowand peeled away like a tearing curtain, revealing an environment completely alien to him. The sky and earth were all various shades of maroon, and the reflected light of Remnant's shattered moon glistened against dark purple crystals growing on the ground. The scene spread for miles, nothing but maroon stone for soil and crystals for grass. He looked up and saw a tall white haired woman standing on a ledge, who turned to look at him with a smile. Her eyes were completely black save for her glowing red irises, which were surrounded by dark veins that resembled cracks in stone. She was clad in a black and red cloaked dress, and her skin was even paler than her hair. She reached her hand out, and Rowand took it.

"It has been a long time since I found someone with powers like myself..." She said almost warmly. From behind her cloak, she took out Rowand's ringed lightsaber, and placed it in his hand. "I am Salem, the last ancient master of the Universe's Will on Remnant."

Rowand took the hilt of his weapon back into his hand, looking up at the dark lady. "I am Rowand, inquisitor of the Galactic Empire and disciple of the dark side of the Force."

Salem nodded and smiled again. "I see. It seems we have much to learn from one another."


	15. Chapter 15

AN: I apologize for my lack of frequent updates. I've got several projects going on all at once, and it's been keeping me from working on this story for as much as I probably should. However, as always, Kamen Rider Raika has been a massive help in making these chapters. I know it's probably getting old thanking him all of the time, but I seriously don't know where I would be without him. Also, for the sake of reducing the waiting time between chapters, I've considered reducing the length of each individual chapter in order to upload new content more often and focusing on tighter story editing. What are your guys' thoughts on this idea? Anyways, I hope you enjoy the rest of the chapter...

* * *

Blake and Sun both cried in agony as their masked captor entered their minds once again. How long have they been here now? Weeks? Months? Maybe a year? Neither of them had any sense of time while being stuck in the dark. All they had was each other, and the regular visits and experimentations of their captor.

Sun was the first to go limp. Unconscious, but alive. His scarred body dangled from the chains attached to his wrists from the ceiling. Blake managed to scream two words before the pain became too unbearable.

"Please, stop!"

"Stop… who? I told you my name, didn't I?"

"N-Nyxona…"

"Good." Nyxona giggled behind her mask. "You two truly do impress me, though. I'm surprised you've lasted long. Not even some Jedi I've played around with like this have managed to cling on to sanity."

Nyxona raised her hand again, but didn't stretch out with the Force. But that didn't matter. Blake's eyes dilated and her body violently shook, screaming and begging for her life.

"Hmph. I guess I wasn't entirely correct about your sanity."

"Leave… leave her alone!" Sun had woken up more quickly than expected.

"Oh?" Nyxona leaned in. "Are you, an animal, telling me, a sentient, what to do?"

Sun bared his teeth as Blake looked on in horror.

"Sun, no!" Blake pleaded.

"Silence!" Nyxona hissed. "Now, Sun, what did you tell me to do?"

"I told you to shut up!" Sun said with fire burning in his eyes. In what could have possibly been his last act of defiance, Sun spat into Nyxona's shiny black visor. Blake yelped and looked away from what she assumed would be a slaughter.

Nyxona merely chuckled, not bothering to wipe the spit off her helmet. "Charming, to the last." She cupped her hand around Sun's cheek, letting her fingers slide off one by one along his chin. Sun only continued to stare her down.

After a brief moment, Nyxona stood up, angling herself so they could both see her in full view. She reached up at her helmet, and a hiss of air escaped from the dark and empty face. She pulled off her helmet with a loud and bassy pop, revealing a being that look human, but more appropriately resembled certain stories about witches. The most obvious distinction was her vibrant green skin, which had several ornate tattoos etched along her almost too beautiful face, despite the deep claw marks across it.

"The two of you are starting to bore me." She sighed. "I appreciate that you are willing to defend Blake, dear Sun. But my efforts to break you have failed, whereas my efforts to break Blake has succeeded. I don't want either of you being feisty, I want control over both of you!"

In Nyxona's sudden burst of volume, she ignited a glowing crimson blade with a *hiss-howl!*, and swung directly at Blake. Sun yelled to protest, but once the deed was done, half of Blake's left cat ear had been burned off. Blake whimpered and cried as Sun looked on with horror.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Nyxona's said innocently. "If it helps, I bet I can make you forget this all happened! Then once I come back, we can have fun like this all over again!"

"W-what are you talking about?" Sun asked fearfully,

"Oh, I never told you about the Force, did I? Well, a man once said 'The Force can do terrible things to a mind. It can wipe away your memory and destroy your very identity!' And I bet that if I destroy your identity Sun, I can break you. And If I wipe the memories of both you and Blake, I can break you all over again, and again.."

Nyxona lifted both of her hands against Blake and Sun and closed her eyes. She focused as the two faunus felt their bodies and minds convulse violently as thought after thought was torn away from them. Nyxona's ethereal hands ripped through their minds and memories with near zealotry, not wanting to leave a single scrap of identity behind. In a few long minutes, both Blake and Sun, now empty, fainted. Nyxona released her grip, smiling at her handy work. When she would return, these two test subjects would be new people. People she could mold again and again, now that she knew she could destroy one's memories. They would belong to her.

"Sir." A stormtrooper called from beyond the door. "Admiral Kayana's distress beacon has activated. We need you on the site."

"Very well." Nyxona said. "I'll be there." She gave one last look at her victims before placing her helmet back on, wiping off the spit of the man who would not even remember his name to be Sun.

* * *

"You benighted fool!" Kayana shouted at Kebiin, doing her best not to get dragged against the pavement. "I will see to it that you will be executed! A child such as yourself has no right to-"

"Will you just shut up already!?" Kebiin said as he dived with her behind a rusted car, barely missing the volley of red blaster fire that was trained on them.

"See? They don't care if they kill you, too! If anyone is going to save you, it's either going to be me or the actual cops. Don't you want to live to bark orders another day?"

"Tch." Kayana hissed through her teeth. "You underestimate the Empire. They know exactly what they're doing."

Using the Force, Kebiin pushed their car cover in the same general direction as the blaster fire, sending it to where he hoped the stormtroopers would be. In the ensuing chaos, he grabbed Kayana by the wrist again, this time speeding into another street with the aid of the Force.

"Are you trying to break my arm, _adiik?_ " Kayana winced as they entered a normal human running speed.

"I may as well return the favor after what you did to Ruby! Although I'd rather get payback for Weiss while I'm at it, too."

"Hmph. It's not like I was the one flying the TIE, Ceibur.

"But you led them to us! And because of that, now I'm stuck with you!"

"How polite."

A bright white light encircled the two of them, and Kebiin instantly placed his E-11 on Kayana's tempol, shoving her body in front of his and daring the TIE pilot above to shoot.

"You can't run forever." Kayana grinned. "Tell me, have you actually had to kill anyone before? I hear your clan's world was secluded and wasn't exactly a warzone."

"Just because Yang isn't here to tell you to shut up doesn't mean you can keep talking." Kebiin hissed into her ear as she slowly back stepped away from the TIE. He tightened his grip on his blaster, hoping to assure her than he was willing to pull the trigger. But as was often the case, she could tell he was a liar.

Kayana began to laugh as more stormtroopers made the turn into their street, surrounding them on the spot the hovering fighter had them pinned. Kebiin counted maybe a dozen troops taking position along the sidewalks and streets, waiting to receive the order to fire. Kebiin spotted the same short stormtrooper girl once again in her helmet, shaking and uncertain of what action to take.

"Wait!" Kayana shouted at her troops. "Stand down!"

Even though most of the stormtroopers expressed confusion at the command, they nonetheless obeyed as they always did.

"Tell me, child of Ceibur. What if I invoked the code right here and now?"

Kebiin nearly froze. No one had ever invoked the code on him before. "You would challenge me to single combat? Right now?"

"Would you refuse?" Kayana almost giggled in anticipation for his answer. "You called me a coward before, didn't you? I may be an Imperial, but I am still Mandalorian. I have to defend my honor, and you have to defend yours by accepting."

For a moment, Kebiin regretted the flaunting of his heritage to this woman. But he quickly realized how selfish that was. His culture and customs were his, regardless of situation and location. Even if he hated Kayana for turning her back on the Mandalorian people, it would be pathetic to reject the challenge of a person he so openly denounced.

"What about your stormtroopers? Will they interfere?"

"Their training was modeled off of the old clone troopers, who were in turn modeled off of us. I trust them to understand this."

"I don't."

"You don't have to."

Kebiin allowed the offer to roll around in his head, weighing his options. Should he even consider Kayana as Mandalorian at this point? Dueling right now on the spot had no advantage for him. The time it would take for him to fight Kayana gave the Imperials time to surround and close in on his position even more than they already have.. He would be trapping himself. But his own blood told him that that would be unacceptable. He couldn't call himself Mandalorian only when it was convenient. He wouldn't be like Kayana.

"... fine." Kebiin finally said, releasing his captive. "I accept. What are your terms?"

"Melee combat only." Kayana said, brushing her hair. "Fists, feet, and the weapons provided. None of your Jedi mystics. DN-3017 over there brought your native weapon with her from the hospital, and it's standard procedure to bring riot troopers whenever visiting these unsightly ghettos."

"You're going to come at me with a tiny shield and tonfa?" Kebiin scoffed, remembering the lightning and fire capabilities of _Atiniir_.

"I'll make do." Kayana said confidently. "Troopers, bring our gear."

The stormtrooper Kayana called DN-3017 approached Kebiin, detaching the folded _Atiniir_ from the back of her belt and offering it to him. He quickly snatched the weapon out of her hands, somewhat sickened that a stormtrooper even touched the weapon he crafted himself. Another stormtrooper from the crowd gave up his shield and electro-tonfa, which Kayana quickly adjusted herself to by spinning it a couple of times.

"Ready, _ge'verd?_ " She grinned almost innocently.

"No more than you, _dar'manda_." Kebiin retorted.

He flicked the switch on _Atiniir_ , extending the hilt and folding out the two twin blades in a staff-like position. He motioned his thumb around the buttons that would allow him to make use of the Dust crystals inside, ready to strike. Kayana herself took a standard fighting position, bending her knees slightly and bringing her shield in front of her. Her tonfa cracked loudly as it extended and powered on, sizzling with electricity. As the two readied to engage one another, neither of them noticed Nyxona's slim dark figure watching the duel from atop a building.

* * *

In the time Rowand had spent away from his galaxy, he never realized how empty things felt out here. He had gotten used to the lack of the strong connection of life, adjusting to the near hollowness of Remnant. His powers and senses faired just fine on this planet, but now that he was in Salem's domain, he realized that he felt complete. His breaths felt deeper, his muscles more relaxed, a pressure in his mind he never even noticed relaxed. Here, he wasn't just a disposable agent of the Empire. He was a wielder of the Force.

Rowand kept his eyes shut, despite the growing burning sensation in his mind. He sat cross legged, trying to expand his greater perceptions as wide as he could. In this place, sensing his environment and what went on in it were easy enough. But once he reached beyond that point to the rest of Remnant, all he could feel as a burn that grew more and more uncomfortable. He wondered if his new master now thought less of him now that his face was showing clear signs of pain.

"Rowand, there's no need to hide it." Salem whispered to him virtually on cue. "I know what you're going through. I had the same issues when Remnant's paradigm shifted away from the Universe's Will. Don't be afraid to use that anger and pain. Break that barrier and feel the semblance of life that has overtaken the world."

"I… I can't!" Rowand grunted through his teeth. His body tensed as he felt cold sweat drip down his forehead.

"You can and you must!" Salem said encouragingly. "My first major step into my power was being able to feel everything that occurs on Remnant. The only way I can teach you is if you do the same!"

"But… I… It's fighting me!"

"You've won many battles! You can win this one!"

"No, I… I… DAMMIT!" Rowand broke his attempt and ended his connection to the outside world. He toppled over, breathing heavily and trying to enjoy the simple sensation of not being in pain as much as possible. He figured Salem would force him to try again like Vader and Xaelos normally did.

After lying on the ground for a time that felt too short, Salem finally broke the silence between the two of them.

"How do you feel? You should rest before trying again."

"Rest?" Rowand scoffed, clearly insulted. "I am a disciple of the dark side of the Force! Being connected to the web of life is the very nature of my kind! And yet… and yet I can barely do it while here!"

Salem sighed, closing her eyes momentarily and allowing Rowand to radiate his frustration. Rowand wasn't entirely sure what expression she was making, but it was caught somewhere between disappointment and longing.

"Master?" Rowand said nervously, realizing he had just snapped at a superior. "I apologize, I didn't mean to-"

"No no, it's alright." Salem said, hovering her index finger in front of Rowand's lips. "You shouldn't have to worry around me. You are my student, I am your teacher, and we are both meant to be connected to the flow of the universe. We're kin, and we should treat each other as such."

"Kin?" Rowand narrowed his eyes, confused. "You sound just like the Jedi…"

"Hmm?"

Rowand shook his head. "It's not important. I'm just not used to being treated so… warmly."

"I see." Salem lifted her dress above the ground slightly, sitting down on the maroon grass and crossing her legs. "Then tell me, how are you treated back home?"

"Master, I don't think telling stories is going to help me learn-"

"As your teacher, I am commanding you to sit down, rest, and tell me a few stories. Once you're done, we'll get back to work. Agreed?"

Rowand wasn't even sure how to respond. It wasn't like Vader or Xaelos had ever treated him this way. Rest while in the middle of training? And having small talk with his mentor? He had nearly forgotten about these concepts… The last time he did anything of this sort was when he was a Jedi youngling.

Rowand took a deep breath, remembering that he was with a new mentor who had different values and beliefs. "Okay." He sighed, relaxed his shoulders, and sat down in the grass across Salem.

"Tell me." Salem began. "You said that connecting yourself to life was your very nature. What is your home like? How is this 'Force?'"

"How much did you see when I first came here? The vision, I mean. How much do you know of me?"

"Not much." Salem said, placing her finger against her temple in thought. "I saw exactly what you saw, but I don't know what information your memories held of those events. However, I could clearly tell you are not of this world, and I remember you saying you were a member of the 'Galactic Empire.'"

Rowand nodded. "Yes. I, my superiors, subordinates, and fellow agents all come from the neighboring galaxy. There, we developed the technology to travel from star system to star system, and much more. Back home, all life in the galaxy is connected through the Force."

"A whole different galaxy? That's quite a tale. I'm having a hard time buying into it."

"Why would I tell a lie that sounds too much like a lie? Even if it seems unbelievable, it is the truth."

Salem grinned. "Fair enough. From the looks of it, it seems your 'Force' is the same as what I and my old companions called the 'Will of the Universe.' However, as far as I know, Remnant is the only place where it could be felt… and the place that it left. But it seems to be resurging as of late."

Rowand raised an eyebrow. He knew there had to be a story as to why Remnant was in the spiritual state it was. The Force was not here in full, but it had been growing stronger. Not only that, but the small isolated energy within most living beings on Remnant felt similar to the Force, though not nearly as powerful.

"The Force left? What do you mean?"

Salem gave a tired exhale, avoiding Rowand's gaze and twirling her fingers in the grass. "It's a bit of a sad story, really. A lot of my brothers and sisters died in the conflict that broke the Universe's Will. I… I doubt I have the heart to tell it in a way you would understand."

"But master!" Rowand protested. "As a disciple of the Force, I have to know what happened here!"

Salem stood up, still avoiding eye contact with Rowand. Her head was stooped low, and several Grimm were striding in by her side. She looked down at the dark monsters next to her, petting them.

"I'm sorry Rowand. It's a painful thing to remember. For now, I want you to keep practicing your exercises. I need some time to think."

Before Rowand could probe her for questions, Salem's Grimm were already leading her away. Soon, she was completely out of Rowand's view. She never even looked back at him. What happened so long ago that resulted in Remnant ending up the way it was? Rowand was so close to an answer, but part of him felt guilty for trying to get it out of her after she clearly expressed that it wasn't something she coped with easily. But for now, like she said, he could only continue with his exercises.

Crossing his legs, Rowand closed his eyes and tapped into the power of Salem's domain. That task was easy enough, but stretching out the way Salem could was much harder. Or at least, he expected it would be when trying again. Rather than meeting the wall of resistance he felt whenever he tried this, the movement of his mind was completely clear and free. He almost loss himself in a surge of euphoria when he felt the world outside of his and Salem's little Force bubble.

'I-I've done it?' Rowand thought, barely keeping his smile together at his accomplishment. 'At last! I've finally connected to-'

Rowand's feeling of pride was swept away when a new scene blurred before him. Not only could he feel the frustration of the situation he was now seeing, but he could see it in clear view. Before him, his sister's son was cornered by a squad of stormtroopers. In front of him was Admiral Kayana, and the two looked ready for single combat. On the building above them, was the familiar and dreaded figure of Nyxona.

With a sudden jolt of fear, Rowand's mind was pulled back to reality. The vision of Kebiin Ceibur was gone, but he knew exactly what it meant. His nephew was in danger of being taken by the Empire, and worse, potentially by Nyxona. Even if it was technically his duty to kill the Jedi, even though he seeked closure for the death of his sister by killing her child, he instinctively felt the need to save the life of his own flesh and blood. He had saved Kebiin before for reasons he did not understand, but he knew he had to do it again.

Rowand whipped out his commlink from his pocket. He wasn't sure if it would even work here, but he had to try. Imperial communication devices were infinitely superior to what the natives of Remnant had built, and Cinder was in possession of one.

"Cinder! Do you read? Where are you!?"

"Rowand? I knew you had to be alive. How is Salem treating you?"

Rowand had never been so relieved to hear that woman's purr of a voice.

"Cinder. Answer something for me. How valuable am I to you?"

There was a pause before Rowand got a reply.

"Very. You may have been one of the single most powerful individuals that has been under my command. Although I understand if Salem wants to keep you for her own needs. Her orders are above mine."

"That's irrelevant. What's important here is that I was valuable to you, and you lost me as an asset to your superior. But how would you like another operative just as-if not more-powerful than me?"

"... Go on."

"There is a boy in Vale that needs your help. His name is Kebiin Ceibur. He is being cornered in the ghettos by the Midnight Song. If you want him for your own ends, rescue him."

"Rescue a child? From my and your allies? Rowand, YOU are an operative of the Midnight Song as well, and I can't ask your superiors for custody of a child. The only way I can manage something like that is if I go out of my way to fight my own allies."

"Then don't let them see who you are. Once you get the boy, use him in secret, similar to me. Don't let anyone outside of your closest circle know who he is."

"I get the feeling you are not giving me an option in rescuing this… Kebiin?"

"... No. I'm begging you."

Another pause. Cinder must be revelling in the moment. She loved dominance over others more than anything in the world. Someone as strong as Rowand not only acting as a subordinate to her, but actively begging, must have been something Cinder wanted to savor.

"I hope you realize I would be sticking my neck out quite a bit for this kid." She finally replied, a hint of laughter in her voice.

"I know. But you and I also both know that you have no intention of keeping allied organizations with you in the long run. The White Fang and Midnight Song are just a means to an end for you. If you rescue and use this boy in secret, then I swear that once I become powerful enough, I will swear my absolute loyalty to you and whatever goal you wish to obtain."

"Swear absolute loyalty? What are you saying?"

"I am saying that you will have two incredibly powerful subordinates that can help you attain the power you truly want! Kebiin wishes to fight the Empire, and I will do the same if you rescue him! I am saying I will betray my own order for you if you rescue Kebiin!"

"Empire? You never mentioned an empire before."

Rowand didn't even notice how frantically he was speaking. He had let the true name of the Empire slip. However, Cinder continued on.

"Very well. I accept the offer."

"Thank you…" Rowand sighed in relief. "Thank you… but please, I also ask you to never tell the truth to him. Only you can keep him safe now, and if he ever finds out you work with the Midnight Song, the result will not bode well for any of us. Keep him in the dark about whatever mission you give him. Always tell him that he fights against the Midnight Song, that you are their enemy as well. Have him do whatever you wish, just never tell him who your allies are."

"Fair enough. Having an agent that knows very little of his commanders can be an advantage by itself, anyways. I will find a use for him, and I promise to keep him uninformed. Anything else?"

"There is one last thing." Rowand tensed up just a tad, unsure of how far he could push Cinder to do this. "To reduce the chances of him questioning you, you must gain his trust. One of his friends from Beacon Academy was captured by another agent and is being held in the underground base beneath Mt. Glenn. Help him rescue the girl named Blake Belladonna, and he will pledge his loyalty to you. If you do this, the Midnight Song will also abandon that command post, shrinking their sphere of influence and creating less competition for you."

"Fine. If that is what I need to do, then I'll do it. I'll take Mercury and Emerald now to secure him. I hope your time with Salem leads to good results."

With that final note, Cinder hung up. Rowand let his body slump into the grass, laying down and contemplating his actions.

"He's going to be safe with her…" He whispered to himself. "He will be living in another web of lies, but he'll be safe… I'm sorry Azrilin. It's the best I can do."

* * *

Kebiin hated himself for getting involved in this situation the moment Kayana's tonfa struck him in the chest. Why did he have to accept a duel right here and now? What made him think the Empire would live by their word if he actually won? Not that he had that big of a chance of winning either way. Mandalorian duel conduct demanded the use of the body and weapon almost exclusively, which meant that he couldn't use the Force against his opponent. Even if he did try that, he wouldn't be fast enough to get out of the sights of the stormtroopers and TIE fighter around him. His sense of honor had him stuck in a situation where he had no possible escape route.

Just as Kebiin hauled himself up from being knocked several feet across the ground, Kayana was already there waiting for him. She must've noticed that _Atiniir_ utilized Dust crystals as weapons, and wasn't going to allow him to use them. If he electrified one blade to strike, she would counter with her tonfa to negate the charge. If he tried heating his other blade, her heat-resistant riot shield would cancel the blow. However, that principle also applied to him, at least for his electric blade. Kayana was physically superior to him. Faster, more flexible, and her strikes felt a lot stronger than she looked. However, she wasn't a Force sensitive. If worst came to worst, Kebiin could use the Force to keep himself going for long periods of time and allow Kayana to tire herself out, falling in line with the principles of the Soresu fighting style. And at this rate, that seemed to be his only option.

As Kayana brought her tonfa down again, Kebiin electrified his blade to match the charge of Kayana's weapon. The two of them collided, sticking together momentarily in a static effect. When Kebiin ripped his blade away, he spun and swept outward with his leg, knocking Kayana off of her feet. He tried stabbing toward the ground at Kayana, but she simply bashed the flat of Kebiin's blade away with her shield and struck him again with her tonfa. Just like before, he was knocked back and completely winded from the blow.

In normal duels, both Kebiin and Kayana would be wearing some sort of armor or insulin that could protect them from bladed weapons, blunt force trauma, and lessen the shock factor of electric weapons like the ones they were using. However, neither of them had any sort of protection, and Kebiin was feeling that lack of protection completely.

Kebiin felt almost paralyzed on the ground. That second blow from the electro-tonfa rendered his training useless. The only movement he could muster was a few vain twitches from his limbs. He had to call upon the Force to save him.

Kayana approached him, her face amused but slightly dissatisfied.

"You call yourself a Mandalorian?" She scoffed. "A true Mandalorian wouldn't be immobilized on the ground in only two strikes. Seems even your mother's Jedi blood wasn't enough to keep you alive."

Kebiin fumed at the mention of his mother. Any words speaking of his family coming out of the mouth of an imperial sickened him. Letting his anger fuel him, he mustered up the strength to counter the shock done by Kayana's weapon. He sprung up, extended his arm, and then-

The entire street was covered in smoke at the sounds of several loud pops. Smoke bombs.. A hail of bullets sparked and danced through the smoke that engulfed Kebiin, Kayana, the stormtroopers, and the TIE fighter. Kebiin heard a few of the rounds bounce off of the stormtrooper's plated armor, but it was enough to cause confusion. Kayana was frantically looking for cover, hoping to avoid any stray bullets from hitting her unprotected body. And that was when Kebiin saw her eyes widen as a collection of bullets sprayed across her back and legs, sending her to the ground in a growing pool of blood.

"Hey, you alright?" A girl with green hair, dark skin, and red eyes skidded toward Kebiin, firing at a collection of stormtroopers that were turning to spot him.

"Who the hell are you?" Kebiin said, shocked at the turn of events. "This was supposed to be a duel!"

"Hey kid, We're here to save your life. Name's Emerald, by the way. Kebiin Ceibur, right?"

"Y-yes." Kebiin said nervously.

"Good! Now, c'mon! We gotta meet up with my friends before these military police realize what's going on! Follow me!"

Emerald took Kebiin by the hand and ran out into the smoke. Once the two of them broke through the gray cloud, Kebiin saw a tall grey-haired boy and a beautiful woman with amber eyes and a red dress standing by a small aircraft that was parked between a cramped section of building. Kebiin looked behind him to see the flashing of red stormtrooper fire blasting through the smoke at enemies that weren't even there anymore.

"This is Kebiin Ceibur?" The woman said.

"Yup." Emerald nodded. "Now c'mon kid, let's get you out of here!"

While he was dazed and confused, Kebiin wasn't stupid. He didn't know these people, but he sure as hell knew the Empire. This group had just saved him for reasons he could ask later. Somewhat tentatively, he boarded the loading ramp of their small craft, the other following in soon after. Kebiin looked out of the window to see the smoke cloud finally dissipating from above.

* * *

Nyxona crept her way toward Kayana's twitching and bloodied body as the stormtrooper battalion made chase in the direction they last saw the mutt run towards. She had to admit, a third party rescue was one of the last things she expected. But that meant that this group that has saved her target wasn't affiliated with Beacon academy or the kingdom of Vale. Neither would risk an international incident with 'Atlas.' This group was independent.

"N-Nyxona…" Kayana croaked out. "I… I can't feel my… my legs…"

"Yes, but I suppose you won't feel much of anything in a few moments." Nyxona knelt by her admiral, pressing her fingers against the crimson bullet wounds in Kayana's back and watching the extra blood pour from the wounds.

"Pursue the target…" Blood began to trickle from Kayana's mouth. "Ceibur fled the duel… I want to… to finish the…"

"Oh, admiral." Nyxona grinned behind her void of a mask as she yanked on Kayana's hair, pulling her neck upwards as she croaked pathetically. "Don't you understand? That mutt is my kill, and my kill alone. I won't let a girl descended from barbarian tribes rob me of that satisfaction."

"No…" Kayana couldn't even muster up the strength to sound angry. "I am… your superior… I order you to… save me…"

Nyxona activated her comm in her helmet, sending a signal to all Imperial forces in the area.

"This is Inquisitor Nyxona. Forget the target. Do not pursue. I repeat, do not pursue. Let them escape for now."

At this point, Kayana no longer had the strength to argue.

"Listen, 'admiral." Nyxona began. "You never should have been in command of this operation. This world is an anomaly of the Force, and only I and Xaelos have the right to operate on it. The Emperor directed Xaelos and I to this place, but someone else here can help us claim it. On this world, I shall be powerful and unchained. And that world is one I am happy to let you die for.

Nyxona held Kayana by her hair for another moment, taking in every detail of her powerless face, all the while forcing her to stare into her own pathetic expression in Nyxona's own reflective visor. Kayana's eyes went dull, and Nyxona could sense that her superior officer was gone for good. She let go of Kayana's hair, smirking behind her black helmet. She reveled in the moment for a brief second, and then reopened her comm channel to the rest of the Imperial forces.

"Attention all forces of the Empire! Admiral Kayana is dead at the hands of the backwater natives. I, Nyxona, Inquisitor of the Empire, declare this operation under my command. The mission objective has changed. This world deviates from the mystics of our galaxy, and we have a Jedi on the loose. Under those conditions, I am suited to take charge. All those who disagree are invited to converse with me about their reservations."

Nyxona's grin morphed into a twisted laugh as she stood over the corpse of her former admiral. Out here, she would be free to express the control she so desperately wanted over others. Darth Vader wasn't here to stop her. She couldn't wait for Xaelos to return on-world and tell him the good news.


	16. Chapter 16

Amidst all the other things that were racing through Yang's mind, the word ' _insane_ ' more or less summed up her situation. Kebiin was now a wanted criminal, that woman from Atlas had reportedly been shot to death, and Ruby and Weiss had been hospitalized after surviving an explosive shot from one of those howling fighters. As much as she wanted to be by her sister's and Weiss's side at the moment, Ruby had the foresight to exercise her power as their leader.

' _Hide his things_!' Ruby ordered her. ' _Atlas is going to want to take Kebiin's belongings away as evidence, but we have to go over them before they do. Maybe we can find out why he did what he did!_ '

Still scraped up and dirty from the whole fiasco a few hours ago, Yang made her way back to Beacon and slammed their dormitory door open, sighing in relief when she saw the room had not yet been ravaged by the white troopers. Gently closing the door behind her, she slumped and sat on the floor, finally allowing herself to catch a breath.

"Right, right… It's gonna be alright, Yang. RWBBY's tough, we can handle this…" Yang whispered to herself, despite being skeptical of her own words. "No!" Yang shot back up, quickly wiping some of the dust and dirt off of her arms and face. "We've got this! We'll get through!"

With that determined statement, Yang was ready to undergo the 'noble' work of rummaging through and more or less stealing Kebiin's personal belongings. Since the boy was so protective of what little he had, part of her felt guilty for even touching them. However, that was only a minor discomfort to her psyche given the situation. She walked over to his side of the room and inspected what little Kebiin owned in his pack. A small metal disc, some sort of of exotic firearm that was similar to the ones the Atlas military police carried, and… that was it?

Yang scanned the room for the other item she was sure Kebiin had and quickly spotted the white and bronze T-visored helmet Kebiin kept on top of his nightstand.

"Ah, that must be the thing I'm forgetting about!"

Yang slung the pack over her shoulder and held the helmet under her arm, ready to bolt out of the room. When she opened the door, she was surprised to meet a familiar scraggly blond boy on the other side.

"Gah!" They simultaneously yelped.

"Jaune!"

"So sorry! Now I guess you're going to ask why I'm here, but- hey, wait!"

Without paying his words much attention, Yang grabbed Jaune by the collar and pulled him into the room, shutting the door behind them.

"Jaune, how's the situation? Any Atlas troops coming our way?"

"Yes, but what are you-"

"How many, and how close are they?"

"I don't know, and I don't know. But Yang, if you're doing what I think you're doing, then you're forgetting-"

"Okay, Jaune, listen carefully. I need to get out and hide all this stuff. I need you to cover for me here at the school, so-"

"Geez woman, will you just listen!?" Jaune finally raised his voice, silencing Yang. "I could just... feel that something was wrong. It was like I heard you and what you were trying to do. I want to help."

"Wait, what?" Yang squinted at Jaune in confusion. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you want to help me out, but you… 'heard' what I wanted to do?"

"Pretty much." Jaune nodded. "It's hard to explain, but-" Jaune abruptly stopped moving. His eyes became super focused as he made an expression akin to something someone would make when trying to find the source of a sound.

"Jaune?" Yang waved her hand in front of his face.

"Hey, stop that!" Jaune gently swatted her arm away. "I think you almost forgot about something."

"What do you mean? This is everything I need, right here." Yang pointed out the pack and helmet she was carrying.

"No, it's…" Jaune slowly approached Kebiin's bed, his right arm stretched out as if he were probing the air for something. Yang looked at where Jaune was heading to, seeing the faint blue glow shining through Kebiin's pillow.

Without Jaune having to physically reach for it, an ornate golden and blue cube floated out of Kebiin's pillow and drifted into Jaune's open palm.

"Jaune…" Yang whispered, somewhat speechless. "What just happened?"

"I don't know…" Jaune said as he let his fingers glide across the mesmerizing designs of the cube. "But it's like this thing, whatever it is, wanted me to take it."

"Come again? It… _wanted_ you to to take it? How is that even-"

Yang ceased her talking when she heard a distinctive marching sound getting closer and closer to her and Jaune. From the sound of it, there must've been six or so armored people making their way through the school's dorm halls. There was only one group it could be.

"Dammit!" Yang cursed under her breath. "They're here!"

"You mean Atlas!?" Jaune said worriedly. "But if they see us with the belongings of a wanted criminal, they might think we're accomplices!"

"At this point, we are accomplices." Yang said as she ran to the dorm's window. "Look, you keep that thing for now and find out why it likes you so much. I gotta go hide this stuff before we get arrested."

"Wait!" Jaune protested. "What am I supposed to do with-"

Before he could finish his question, Yang opened the window, and leapt out. Worried she might've broken her leg, Jaune rushed to look out and check if she was alright, but she was already making a mad dash away from the school.

"Right… Semblance." Jaune remembered.

The marching was getting louder now. Jaune didn't have the capability to make a several story drop and follow Yang, so he dashed out of the dorm room as fast as he could, and turned the nearest corner he could find. He ended up diving into a janitorial closet right as he saw a mass of white armor enter into team RWBBY's room.

Panting more out of fear than tiredness, Jaune let himself slump against the dark closet's walls, nearly knocking over a mop as he did so. Why was his first instinct to hide inside of a cramped and dirty closet again? The fact he was inhaling a strange mix of smells from various cleaning chemicals wasn't helping him relax much, either. But he figured it would be best to wait it out a little longer before heading to his own dorm room. The white troops were making quite the racket while trashing RWBBY's room, so he would definitely know the coast was clear when the noise stopped.

Closing his eyes and allowing himself to slow his breath, he began to focus the way Kebiin taught him rather than simply stressing out while waiting. He felt a calm overtake his mind, and he even stopped smelling the cleaning chemicals in the closet. When he finally opened his eyes, the space he was in was no longer dark. The cube he was holding was now levitating in the air, and a glowing blue holographic figure of a masked and robed man stood before him.

* * *

Kebiin was still in shock. He had been with his rescuers for a few hours now, but his mind was still registering the reality of his situation. His team was hospitalized, he was responsible for the death of an Imperial officer, and now he had been rescued by a group of what he assumed to be either vigilantes or regular criminals. The Empire had come to Remnant, and he still didn't know a thing about the status of his enemy. And to top it all off, he was without Revan's guidance.

Still laying on his bed in the spartan room his rescuers said he could stay in, Kebiin heard a knock on the door.

"Can I come in?" It was the voice of the girl Kebiin first met in the earlier fray.

"Go ahead." Kebiin said montonly.

The cold metal door slid open as the dark skinned girl walked inside, leaning against the doorframe once she entered the room.

"Hey kid, remember me? How you holding up?"

"You said your name was Emerald, right?"

"Yup, that's me." Emerald nodded. "But you didn't tell me how you were holding up."

"I've been better…"

"Ah, gotcha." Emerald shifted awkwardly, rubbing her hand against her other arm and not knowing what to say for certain.

"So, uhh…" She tried to begin. "I know a lot has happened, but-"

"Did you actually want anything?" Kebiin cut her off impatiently.

"Right, right. Yes, actually. Cinder said she wanted to talk to you."

"Cinder? The woman in the red dress?"

"Yup." Emerald nodded.

"Understood." Kebiin sighed as he hauled himself out of his bed, allowing Emerald to lead the way as he gloomily followed her out of the room.

The two of them made their way down the steel hallways of the underground bunker, Kebiin making surprisingly little noise has his boots trod along the metal floors. Emerald had to occasionally look over her shoulder to make sure he was still even behind her.

'He looks an awful lot like Rowand…' Emerald thought as she looked at the quiet boy. She had to admit, she did feel sad for the guy. She may not have known what his whole deal was, but the way the kid was presenting himself right now was like a beaten puppy. His clothes were still torn and dirty, his blue hair was a mess, and his amber eyes reminiscent of Cinder's were dull enough for her to tell that they should have been much brighter.

The pair reached the door leading to Cinder's reinforced office, Emerald knocking on the door to let her commander know that the kid was here.

"Well, here we are." Emerald opened the door for Kebiin to step in, giving him a gentle nudge forward. Kebiin did so with the same depressed expression from before.

"Hey." Emerald tapped his shoulder, prompting him to turn around to face her. "Chin up, okay?" Emerald said to him with a smile on her face. She wiped a bit of dirt off of his cheek and shoulders before shutting the door behind him.

* * *

"Kebiin Ceibur, right?"

"You wanted to see me?" Kebiin cautiously entered through the doorway. The room itself was rather sparse and not very ornate, not anything at all like the woman within it. Cinder herself stood out in such a way that it was impossible not to look at her first. Her red and golden dress contrasted the steel gray of the walls, and her overall frame and face were the textbook definition of beauty. But however eye-catching and graceful she looked, Kebiin felt more intimidated than awed. The empty nature of the room gave the feeling of isolation, and Cinder's tall frame and cool look gave the impression of power. Essentially, she was the only important thing in the room, and she wanted everyone to know it.

"Yes, I did." Cinder was sitting on an equally dull and plain table as the room, but the fact that it was her sitting there made all the difference. "Tell me, how do you feel?"

"How do I feel?" Kebiin figured the question was supposed to sound a lot more warm than the way it was actually delivered. "I… I don't know." Kebiin admitted. "I'm still trying to figure out what just happened, if I'm being honest."

"Understandable." Cinder said somewhat dismissively. "I'm assuming you have a lot of questions, though."

"You have no idea…" Kebiin said.

"Then you get three for the start." Cinder held out the number of corresponding fingers. "Three questions. We're going to keep this brief."

"Only three? Why?"

"Like I just said, it's to keep this brief. That last one doesn't count, by the way. I want to make sure you're asking real questions."

"Okay…" Kebiin breathed deeply. "Who are you people, who or what do you represent, and why did you save me?"

"Perfect." Cinder purred, readjusting her sitting position. "First, I am Cinder fall. The girl that you met earlier is Emerald Sustrai, and the boy is Mercury Black. We represent… the true will of the Atlas people. We fight against the new regime because it seems no one else will. And we saved you because we were told you would do the same. Fair enough?"

"Fair enough." Kebiin nodded, despite having way more than three questions.

"Good. Now, I've been told that you are a very skilled and powerful boy, one who has reason to hate Atlas. Is that true?"

"Yes…" Kebiin said. "I do."

"Excellent. Then we have a mission for you. If you accept, we would be more than happy to have you join our crew."

Kebiin knew he had no other realistic option other than the one Cinder was offering him. However confused or skeptical he was about this situation, if Cinder was telling the truth, then he had an opportunity and group to fight the Empire with. If this was all for real, then it was exactly what he needed.

"Fine." Kebiin said. "What is it, then?"

"Does the name 'Blake Belladonna' mean anything to you?"

Kebiin's mood changed very noticeably. It was as if a shadow above him had shifted, his face beaming with color and hope about what this mission was going to be.

"Yes! She's my friend, but she went missing. We've been trying to find her, but-"

"But we found her." Cinder said. "And we're going to help you rescue her from the hands of Atlas."

"Oh no…" Kebiin felt a wave of dread return. "She didn't just run away… she's… she's been captured by the Empire…"

The word "Empire" made Cinder momentarily raise an eyebrow of interest, a que Kebiin didn't notice in his current whirlwind of emotion.

"Where is she!?" Kebiin practically demanded. "We have to go get her right now!"

"Patience." Cinder held up her hand, halting Kebiin. "We know where she is, and we're going to help you rescue her. When we succeed, we will shut down a secret Atlas prison camp, as well as rescue Blake Belladonna in the process. What do you say?"

"Yes! I'll go with you!"

"Good. And when the mission is complete, will you join our group?"

Kebiin hesitated. His mind fluttered to team RWBBY, the family he had hoped to stay with for as long as he possibly could. However, he knew he wouldn't be able to go back to them. He was a criminal now. But what he could do was join this new group to keep his family safe. Initially, he felt like he would somehow be abandoning team RWBBY, but this was for the best.

"Yes." Kebiin said confidently. "When the mission is complete, I will swear my loyalty to you and your cause. Your goals will be mine, I will answer your calls to action, and obey the orders you give me."

Cinder's lips curled into a smile almost too enthusiastically. "Excellent." She said, chuckling ever so slightly. "I appreciate how serious you take this. Very… formal."

"My people don't pledge real loyalty like this easily." Kebiin said. "But because of this opportunity you're giving me, I think it's the right thing to do."

"I see." Cinder said. "I'm flattered. Now, get some rest. The mission will be tomorrow. Mercury is preparing some gear for you that you might find useful. We can't have an agent like you running around in torn up clothes now, can we? If you need anything else, talk to Emerald."

Cinder made a waving motion with her hand, signalling Kebiin to exit the room. Surprising himself more than CInder, Kebiin bowed before the woman that would become his commander.

 _"Vor entye._ " Kebiin said as he left the room.

* * *

Ozpin did his best to not slam his head into the increasingly growing pile of paperwork and interview requests that had accumulated on his desk. Running an entire school of aspiring warrior monster hunters was difficult on its own, but avoiding an international crisis was an entirely different beast. The whole school was tense to say the least, but it wasn't just Beacon Academy that was on edge. Both the entire kingdoms of Vale and Atlas were on edge. The Atlas students would be arriving in Vale soon, following in suit of their military. Not only this, but the students of Beacon had been instructed to help organize a funeral for the late Kayana. Tensions between both the schools and nations would be far too uncomfortably high this year.

However, at least the remainder of team RWBBY wouldn't have to deal with this for the next few days. Weiss was still recovering in the hospital after being impaled by shrapnel caused by the Atlas fighter, and the doctors were keeping Ruby under constant care despite her comparatively less serious injury in the form of a broken left arm. Yang wouldn't leave their sides either, meaning that they were all kept conveniently away from what was likely an entire visiting school of pissed off students.

Ozpin took a much needed sip of his coffee as he let himself relax in his chair. He closed his eyes, thinking about what Kebiin had said to him on that fateful day.

' _You can't trust anything they say! Those ships and stormtroopers aren't from Remnant, they're-'_

"The Empire…" Ozpin guessed those final words. It was true, then. Kebiin's fantastical tale of an empire from another galaxy... A civilization capable of conquering entire plants and solar systems had come to Remnant. But why a slow takeover of Atlas? Did they see it as more preferable to hide amongst the native people of Remnant rather than wage a war? Why would that be the case for a nation that controlled a whole galaxy? Perhaps they came with insufficient resources? How would Ozpin even go about sharing this information? First contact had been unknowingly made, and the ultimate question had been unknowingly answered. They were not alone in the universe, but their intergalactic neighbors were far from friendly.

Now Ozpin was the one feeling helpless. Ironically, he needed the guidance of his rogue student. He knew nothing of his new enemy, but Kebiin knew plenty. Ozpin had no idea how much Atlas themselves knew about the Empire, what sort of technology they possessed, or how deep this conspiracy from space went. Was James Ironwood fully aware of this? Likely not, since both he and James had worked together for years not only as good friends, but against an ancient enemy that most assumed was a fairytale.

"The Witch… the Empire..." He whispered to himself, the thoughts of his friend reminding him of their seemingly simpler enemy.. "Which of you are the greater threat?"

* * *

Nora peeked through the slightly opened door leading to Weiss's hospital room, seeing that both Ruby and Yang were by her bedside. All three girls were asleep.

"They're all out cold!" Nora whispered to her teammates, who were all holding various flowers and chocolates as get-well-soon gifts.

"It's okay if we at least drop these off, right?" Jaune said, craning his neck to look through the door.

"If we're quiet, I doubt we'll disturb them." Ren said. "Although, that might be more difficult for some of us here…" Ren's eyes darted to Nora for just a moment, who simply smiled.

"You got that right." The group heard a tired murmur from inside the room. "Pyrrha seems to be the only one not making a racket…"

Team JNPR each stuck their heads through the door, finding a bandaged up Weiss yawning and rubbing her eyes. Ruby and Yang awoke and stretched out as if they were waking up on cue.

"Oh…" Jaune said, a little embarrassed. "Sorry about that."

"Nah, it's no biggie." Ruby said as she let out an exaggerated yawn.

"Weiss, it seems you're doing a lot better." Pyrrha finally spoke, optimism in her voice.

"Well, I feel better. But the doctor said I shouldn't even move from this bed for a while. He said I was lucky that shrapnel didn't kill me…" Weiss said as she lowered her hand to her stomach. "Still hurts, though…"

"I see…" Pyrrha said, this time a little more gloomily.

"It's not too bad." Weiss tried to convince her. "It's not the worst we've been through."

The room went quiet for a moment. How much more would team RWBBY have to lose? Near death experiences was something they all knew they would experience at one point or another, that was just part of being a Huntsman. But losing not one, but two friends… that was something else entirely.

"Actually…" Jaune said, breaking the silence. "I think I have something that could help us." Jaune began to reach into his pocket.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked him.

"Remember that cube you left me with the other night?"

"Yeah. Did you find out what it's deal was?"

"Sort of…" Jaune said. He pulled the object in question out of his pocket, and used his mind to levitate the cube into the center of the room.

"Wow…" Pyrrha gasped at the small demonstration. "I didn't think Kebiin taught you that much quite yet!"

"He didn't." Jaune said.

"He didn't?" Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, anticipating an answer. However, Jaune closed his eyes as he began to focus.

A subtle rumbling filled the room as the gold and blue cube held steady in the air. Its corners rotated, floated away, and orbited around the main body as though it were mimicking a solar system. A blue light overtook the room as the holographic figure of a masked man in dark armored robes flickered into being.

Everyone gazed at the figure in a mix of amazement and confusion, but the hologram itself turned to face Jaune.

"Are you sure about this?" Jaune asked the hologram.

"I am." The hologram said as it flickered more intensely for a split second.

"Jaune…" Yang said, her mouth still slightly agape. "What is this thing?"

"My name is Revan. I am the AI that resides within this holocron. You are all Kebiin Ceibur's friends, and for that, you deserve answers. If it will help protect Kebiin, I will answer anything you have to ask."


	17. Chapter 17

Kebiin, Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald all sat aboard their auto-piloted jet, heading towards Blake's last known location. According to Cinder, or more appropriately, according to her intelligence sources, Blake was being held captive in the underground tunnels beneath the failed colony of Mount Glenn. Kebiin had heard stories of the now ruined city, specifically the ones about how it had been overrun by Grimm.

The decaying buildings and streets were now housing for those monsters, something Kebiin was told to keep in mind above all other things. Anywhere he turned, there could be a Grimm waiting for him. And in Kebiin's emotionally turbulent state, that could spell disaster for the group, as well as any chance for Blake's freedom. He needed to be alert, aware, quick, and strong. He needed to be a Mandalorian.

"You ready, kid?" Mercury said, equipping a mask and other various tactical night gear.

"More than ready." Kebiin replied, fastening on his new combat suit.

"Sorry I didn't get you anything better, it's just some stuff I had lying around. Hope you can move alright in that thing." Mercury said again, gesturing to Kebiin's new outfit. Kebiin didn't understand what Mercury had to apologize for. If anything, Kebiin felt more like a real fighter now than he ever did in his old school uniform.

The dark blue and formfitting undersuit wasn't too far from what Kebiin expected to one day wear under his armor as a Mandalorian. Only, instead of traditional armor, Kebiin wore a black shortsleeve pleated tunic with various pouches and buckles, and classical legionary-style layered shoulder plates. Other than his shoulders, the only other things that was truly armored were his forearms and hands. To hide his identity better, Kebiin also wore a pair of tinted goggles with a simple black face mask. To top it all off, Kebiin wrapped the blue hooded scarf Blake had gifted to him on his first official day as a member of team RWBBY.

Kebiin couldn't help but admire what Mercury had 'thrown together.' He may have not known the man too well at the moment, but he had to admired his sense of fashion and function. But Kebiin quickly remembered what he was going to do. He wasn't here to play dress up, he was setting out to rescue Blake. Reflecting on his latest objective, Kebiin felt along the soft blue scarf.

"Don't worry…." He whispered. "I'm going to get you out."

* * *

Upon touching down on the outskirts of the city, Cinder decided to split up their strike team into two groups. Kebiin would pair with Cinder and sneak their way into the underground prison where Blake was being held. Mercury and Emerald on the other hand, would create some sort of distraction to hopefully reduce Kebiin and Cinder's chances of being caught. Afterwards, they would meet up inside if necessary. Otherwise, they would keep the path back to their plane safe.

The task at hand was surprisingly easy, at least to Kebiin. Cinder kept a digital map and tracker on her arm, allowing them to sneak around the ruined towers and other buildings with relative ease. Kebiin simply had to follow and keep his senses alert. On several occasions, they went past several new looking guard towers and posts that had been abandoned. Cinder said that this was a good sign. Not only did the newly placed structures mean that they were getting close to the prison camp, but the fact that they had been emptied meant that Emerald and Mercury were doing their job well. At least, they figured they were doing well.

Cinder's scroll buzzed in vibration a few times, indicating that she was receiving a message. She and Kebiin ducked behind a collapsed wall, Cinder signaling for Kebiin to keep watch as she checked the message. It was from Mercury.

" _Commander, it's me. We managed to get the guard posts cleared, but you're gonna have a problem. The Grimm we used as distractions have all gathered at a single chokepoint in the road ahead, between you and the entrance to the base. We'll be there as soon as we can, and hopefully we can figure something out."_

Cinder hoped that Salem would allow her to bypass the Grimm like usual, but now that she spent most of her personal time with Rowand, she doubted that Salem had the time to personally manage every Grimm Cinder and her followers came across. However, dealing with the Grimm like enemies as everyone else did was probably for the best. With Salem so preoccupied with Rowand, she hopefully wouldn't catch wind of Kebiin Ceibur.

They continued their original route along the crumbled roads to their planned entrance, even more alert than they had been previously. The buildings of the city began to narrow down as Cinder and Kebiin got closer to the 'chokepoint' Mercury mentioned, meaning that the Grimm weren't too far away. The two of them eventually decided to travel from inside the half-built and half-destroyed buildings simply to navigate more easily.

After several minutes of climbing from one dusty building to the next, Kebiin felt them. The primal senses of hatred, hunger, malice, and so many other things. Kebiin, about two stories high inside a building, looked out of a smashed window frame to see what was in the streets below him. The unmistakable black, white, and red coloring of Grimm. Lots of them.

The Grimm filled out most of the space in the street below, acting more like water than independant organisms. All sorts of Ursai, Beowolves, and other creatures wandered almost aimlessly in their search of prey, but only finding each other in the cramped street. However, Kebiin noticed that they never stampeded or acted aggressively towards each other. While each Grimm was a separate being, from above, they looked more like an organized colony of insects than a horde of oversized bears and wolves. Albeit, insect colonies didn't comprise of individuals that were five to ten times the size of a man on average.

"Keep moving." Cinder nudged Kebiin away from the window. "If you keep looking at them, you might get nervous. If you get nervous, they'll smell you." Kebiin nodded understandingly, and pressed on.

As the pair turned a corner in the next building they were trying to move into, Kebiin felt a cold empty feeling in his stomach. He quickly turned to face Cinder, who was not only behind him, but right next to a collapsing brick wall.

A wall that Kebiin sensed an Ursa was behind.

Out of instinct, Kebiin used the Force to pull Cinder away from the wall and into his arms as the bricks explodes in a cloud of dust behind her. Cinder landed rather ungracefully on Kebiin, making her fumble to stand back up even more difficult. The Ursa, not waiting for its prey to retaliate, swiped its massive black paw at Kebiin and Cinder, causing them to fall out of the building and into the Grimm-infested street. Kebiin used the Force to soften their landing, but that would only help so much. Now exposed out in the open, all Kebiin and Cinder saw was the mass of dark creatures that were ready to tear them limb from limb.

* * *

"Hey Emerald, you don't think that maybe this might be too much for those two?" Mercury said, pulling off his mask for a brief moment as his message sent to Cinder's scroll.

"Of course not!" Emerald said confidently. "Cinder has some of the Fall Maiden's power, remember? A bunch of Grimm won't stop her. Besides, if that kid is anything like Rowand, they'll make it out."

Mercury made some sort of grunting noise in the back of his throat at the sound of that blue-haired bastard's name. "C'mon, Emerald. You don't think any of this is weird at all? First, Rowand drops out of nowhere, takes up most of our work, leaves without giving either of us an explanation, and now we pick up a kid that looks just like him?"

"Kebiin doesn't look _exactly_ like Rowand." Emerald said. "Their noses are different."

"That's not the point! Look, I'm grateful for what Cinder did for us, but we're being left in the dark more than I would like. Don't tell me that you don't have a question or two about what Cinder is up to?"

Emerald sighed heavily, averting her eyes from Mercury's for a few moments before meeting back up with his gaze. "Of course I've got questions, I'm just trusting Cinder with her larger plan. Every time we've trusted her, things turn out well for us, even if things can be difficult."

"That's understandable, but I'd still like to know what the hell Rowand and Kebiin even are, or why we aren't allowed to even mention Rowand around Kebiin. I mean, that's gotta be his kid or something, right? They look too much alike. We're not going to be his foster parents or anything, are we?"

"Either way, if this kid has powers that are anything like Rowand's, we could use them. Let's be honest, Rowand got a hell of a lot of work done for us. Having a mini-Rowand might not be so bad."

"But we still don't even know what Rowand was, what with all those crazy powers." Mercury slumped down against a collapsed wall, crossing his legs. "Oh well. I can complain as much as I'd like, but I guess at this rate, I'm just gonna have to wait for whatever Cinder has to say."

"Oh, _now_ you're giving up on finding out?" Emerald pouted.

"I wasn't saying we should interrogate anyone about this whole fiasco, I'm just complaining that we're not told anything." Mercury paused, using that time to slump against a partially collapsed wall and sit on the ground.

"Hey Mercury…" Emerald began, gripping her upper arm with her other hand. "Do you think that kid is going to be okay? I know it's suspicious considering how similar they look, but Rowand was an adult with experience in this field we're in. Kebiin was a schoolboy up until now. Do you think he'll turn out alright?"

"I think he'll turn out like us."

"I don't know about me, but it'll be a shame if he turns out like you." Emerald snorted playfully.

"Psh. Whatever." Mercury snickered. "You can be his mom once we all group back up."

Emerald rolled her eyes at the comment, waving a dismissive hand at Mercury.

"Oh well." Mercury said. Whatever happens, happens. I just hope Cinder isn't too mad at us after this is done with."

* * *

" _I'm uncertain if this would work on the Grimm, but an old mentor of mine taught me a trick that just might work for you some day."_ Kebiin heard Revan's voice say. _"If you allow your mind to be open to potential vulnerability, you can touch the simpler minds of basic creatures. This will allow you to set a creature at ease, or even bend it to your will if you so desire."_

When Kebiin was first told that by Revan, he didn't understand how one could let themselves be vulnerable around creatures like the Grimm. They were creatures of hatred and anger, and that in itself made being calm around them very difficult to say the least. But all Kebiin needed at this moment was the concept Revan mentioned. Controlling beasts. If Kebiin couldn't find a way to calm his mind and gently influence the Grimm, he had to combat them with the strongest emotions he felt as he impacted the ground.

The will to survive. Anger at the Empire for putting him in this situation. Fear of losing his life. The thoughts of dread at the idea of losing Blake. Everything in that split moment of panic poured into Kebiin's environment, and in remembrance of Revan's lesson, targeted that flood of emotions into the Grimm themselves. If he couldn't convince them to follow his will, then he would demand they feel what he felt.

Cinder created two pillars of flames in her palms as she stood up, ready to fight, but quickly diminished her flames once she realized that the Grimm were not attacking. She looked over to Kebiin, who was already standing and had his arm stretched outward at the Grimm surrounding them. All of them had fear and sorrow very clearly reflected in their yellow eyes. But fear and sorrow for what? Cinder got part of her answer when she looked into Kebiin's own amber eyes. Somehow, he had projected his emotions into the Grimm.

Kebiin, his face now turning from sadness to anger, clenched and raised his fist. The Grimm responded, each of them raising their bodies in attention as though by puppet strings. They were under total domination by this boy. Cinder looked at Kebiin, smiling at the prize of a person she had obtained. This child Rowand had led her to, whatever their relation may be, had the capability to control the creatures of Grimm. Only one other person had demonstrated this ability on this scale before, and it certainly wasn't Rowand. Perhaps then, with Kebiin Ceibur under her manipulation and command, this could be enough to turn the tables in her favor in the near future. She wouldn't have to be subservient to anyone.

* * *

Cinder followed Kebiin closely as he marched his small army of monsters strait towards the prison camp's entrance. The boy had a new demeanor now that he had taken command of the Grimm. His posture seemed straighter, his body movements a little more sharp and purposeful, and his eyes devoid of innocence.

While Cinder was impressed with the boy's power, she was almost concerned with how this seemingly simple action had changed the boy so much. Would he stay this way? Or was this some sort of power-fueled trance? Either way, he was making their mission a whole lot easier, even if it wasn't following their original plan.

The fenced-off cave entrance was now in view, just below the hill they had to trek over. A few standard looking guard towers were placed around the small underground entrance, very few white armored troops patrolling the area. It was almost too sparse. Was Rowand able to issue some sort of order to lower the number of personnel before their mission began?

"So how are you going to deal with them?" Cinder asked Kebiin. "You can't let them see us. Are you going to let these Grimm ravage the whole encampment?"

"Yes." Kebiin replied darkly. Still staying on the hill, outside of the camp's view, Kebiin thrust his arm forward, giving the Grimm the command to attack.

A siren blared throughout the whole area as the white troops were instantly overwhelmed by the Grimm. Red energy blasts sprayed wildly at the creatures, but in the chaotic mess, no single kill was enough to turn the tide of the attack. As fences, towers, and men fell, the troopers began to retreat. The pitch of the siren changed, switching from one of attack and defend to evacuation. The staff of the camp was fleeing.

In a few minutes, the sounds of destruction ceased. Any human being that was in the battle was either dead or had escaped. Even the Grimm sensed this, as the ones that went into the cave to find more prey had returned to the surface. With the battle over, Kebiin's cold expression changed.

"No…" He whispered, holding his own arms and shivering. "Did I just… I've…"

"What's the matter?" Cinder asked Kebiin. "You seem cold."

"I am." Kebiin said, his voice shaking. "So very, very cold..."

Cinder nodded in acknowledgement. "We should head down there and get your friend. We don't know if they'll return with reinforcements."

Kebiin nodded, his face growing paler and paler the closer they got to the devastation. As they neared the cave entrance, Kebiin looked at the bodies of the white soldiers his Grimm had slain. He collapsed to the ground, falling to his knees. Tears streaming from his eyes.

"What have I done…" He said. "I've always hated the Empire, but now that I've just killed them, I… I…" He slammed his fist into the dirt. "Dammit! I'm a Mandalorian, this should be second nature to me! Why do I feel so sick for killing my enemy!?" Kebiin began muttering and swearing in Mandalorian, although even his native language was being effected by his disgust. Even to Cinder who didn't even know what language he was speaking, she could tell that it was probably a garbled mess.

Cinder knelt down by Kebiin, placing her hand on his shoulder. "You did what you had to do to help save your friend. Remember, she's still down there. You can't stop and pity yourself while someone else is waiting for you to save them. I was told you were from a warrior culture, so I need you to prove it right here and now. Stay strong."

Kebiin looked up at her, his eyes reddened with tears. "I've never killed anyone before. This shouldn't feel as bad as it does. Those stormtroopers are monsters who deserved the fate they got! But even though I know that, I can't help but feel awful!"

Cinder reached with her hand and grabbed Kebiin's chin, tilting his head upwards and making him look her in the eyes. "Kebiin Ceibur." She began. "Over the course of my life, I've learned that you have to defeat devils by fighting with demons. Never forget that these people have taken away what you loved, and the power you displayed here tonight has given you the ability to not only take what you love back, but strike a blow against your enemy. If something gives you the power to do those things, then the natural thing to do is embrace it." Cinder paused, allowing Kebiin to nod. "You are a warrior. Is that statement true?"

Kebiin swallowed before replying. "Yes."

"Then act like it."

Kebiin stood back up, breathing deeply. _'Right.'_ He thought to himself. _'The Empire are the ones who took my clan away from me. If I have the power to prevent that from happening again, I have to use it. I will protect everyone. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang… I will defend you as a Mandalorian. It's what my clan would've wanted.'_

As Kebiin rose, the Grimm around him began to disintegrate. Only, they didn't dissolve and evaporate away like they normally would when they died. They slowly crumbled apart as though they were made of ethereal sand, their energy swirling around Kebiin. The particles began phasing into his body. In a quick moment, the dozens of Grimm that Kebiin had controlled had completely disappeared. Kebiin, looking just as shocked as Cinder, shivered intensely after the process was over. Kebiin inspected his hands and felt along his face, as though he had become unfamiliar with his own body.

"Kebiin…" Cinder said as she took a step back. "What just happened?"

"I don't know…" Kebiin said. "But I feel so… awake."

"Awake?"

"That's the only way I can describe it."

Cinder was now beginning to realize what he meant. His body somehow looked more sturdy than it did before, his amber eyes almost seemed to have a faint glow, and the air around him nearly felt charged with electricity.

"So you feel fine?"

"Yes." Kebiin said as he clenched his hand into a fist. "Now let's go get Blake. We've kept her waiting long enough."

Nodding, Cinder motioned her arm towards the cave's entrance in a 'after you' manner. Allowing Kebiin to take the lead, the two made their way into Mount Glenn's underground.

* * *

"This next one should be it." Cinder said as they turned a corner into another dark hallway. "There should be a large metal door with-"

Kebiin swiped his hand across the air, crumpling said metal door like a soda can in a single burst of Force energy. He dashed into the room, oblivious to anything Cinder had to say.

"Blake!" Kebiin cheered as he bolted through the damaged doorway, tears filling his eyes. Be was about to cheer again until he noticed the state Blake was in. And the boy trapped with her.

Blake was unconscious and bound to an Imperial torture chair. Her clothes had been torn up and partially stained in red. Scars littered her exposed arms and abdomin, and one of her cat ears has been partially cut off. He began to approach her, but was snapped out of his saddened trance when he heard a whimpering voice.

"Keep.. away from her…" The monkey faunus said. Kebiin recognized him. It was the same blond and muscular boy that her sparred over the radio with. The same ball of arrogant energy that had bested Kebiin was in the same powerless position as Blake.

"You… I know you!" Kebiin said to him. "You remember me, right? The fight over the radio, the chase? Don't worry, I'm going to get you out of here! I'm here to help."

"Y-you're here to… to help?" The boy lowered his guard slightly, but still quivered. "But… I've never seen you before. The two of us have only ever been in here…"

"What?" Kebiin said, fearing the worst. "What do you mean? Don't you remember me? My team and I chased you along whole rooftops to get a radio you stole. We had a fight and you won, remember?"

"I… I…" The boy's voice shook and his expression saddened. He then shook his head.

"How long have you been in here?" Kebiin asked.

"As long as I can remember, so… days? Weeks?"

Kebiin looked back at the unconscious Blake, tears welling up in his eyes again. The Empire had not only tortured Blake and this faunus boy, but wiped their memories. If they both went through the same process, which they likely did, Blake would not even remember him, team RWBBY, being with the White Fang, anything. The person Blake had been was gone, and same for this faunus boy Kebiin didn't know the name of.

"Do you know each other's names? Do you know yours?" Kebiin asked gloomily.

The boy shook his head again. Kebiin sighed and wiped away his tears. He then gently waved his palm into the air, releasing the binds on the torture chair. The faunus boy slumped out of the cold metal seat he had been confined to, barely able to stand up. Unexpectedly, Mercury ran into the room from behind Kebiin, catching the boy before he could fall.

"Woah, watch it there." Mercury said. "I've got you." The faunus boy looked up at Mercury, his eyes now widening with hope in the realization that these masked people would not harm him. Emerald walked in soon after, immediately working on unbinding Blake. Kebiin unlocked the restraints with the Force again, allowing Emerald to gently carry her out of the dark room. Kebiin looked at Blake's face one last time before turning to speak with the boy again.

"Monkey faunus." Kebiin said, getting his attention. Mercury turned so the boy could face him. "That girl you've been with, her name is Blake Belladonna. I know you two have been through a lot, but I wanted to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"For being with her when we couldn't."

Before the boy could ask what he meant, Mercury had already rushed him out of the room. Cinder walked in to replace them, joining Kebiin in the torture chamber that no longer had any torture subjects.

"Did you get what you want?" Cinder asked him. Wiping away a few more tears, Kebiin replied to her.

"Even more than I could hope for."

"You don't look like it." Cinder said, pointing out his swelling eyes.

"They don't have any memories…" Kebiin said. "One thing she hated was being a liar… now, she has nothing to lie about. That's a second chance a lot of us will never get."

"That's a rather interesting way of viewing things." Cinder said. "Personally, I would consider it tragic to lose your memories and identity."

"It is tragic…" Kebiin wiped his reddened eyes again, his mind flashing with the moments he and Blake had shared. Her somewhat distant expression when he had first seen her at Beacon, her caution at his presence, the night when they snuck outside of their dorm, him telling her that it didn't matter she was a faunus, and him revealing his true origins to her. The moments of intimacy and vulnerability they shared were gone, perhaps forever. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, but we have to make do."

"Did you love her?" Cinder asked.

"Of course I love her." Kebiin replied. "After all… family is more than bloodline." He said, brushing his hooded scarf again. Cinder raised an eyebrow at the phrase, likely expecting a more romantic answer than the familial one Kebiin gave.

"Fair enough. Now, where do you want them? I've made some accommodations back at our base, but-"

"Beacon Academy will do." Kebiin said, prompting Cinder to look somewhat surprised.

"Beacon? Why back there?"

"Because our enemies can storm our base, kill us all, including Blake and that boy, and no one would stop them or bat an eye. But Beacon is an international mess. Everyone would be too scared to try anything against anyone over there at this point, especially with Ozpin watching over the place. And besides…" Kebiin paused, taking a shaky breath. "They all deserve to be back together again. Like the way it was before I came into their lives. They need each other to heal."

"Then does that mean you're ready?" Cinder said in her eager, purring voice.

"Yes." Kebiin nodded. "But this pledge is a two-way street. If I were doing this for another one of my kind, we would both know our lines. Is it fine if I teach it to you?"

"Teach away, Ceibur." Cinder bowed ever so slightly.

Considering Kebiin wasn't teaching Cinder to be fluent in Mando'a, this brief lesson was rather easy. It was only a short poem, meaning Cinder didn't have much to worry about in terms of broader pronunciation. What truly mattered was that she understood the meaning of this pact. After several minutes of practice, Kebiin finally decided Cinder's _Mando'a_ sounded good enough.

"Ready?" Kebiin asked his master-to-be.

Cinder nodded. "When you are."

Kebiin took a deep breath, proceeding to bow on one knee before Cinder, and began his part of the poem.

" _Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an._

 _Manda'yaim a'den mhi, Vode an._

 _Bal kote, darasuum kote,_

 _Jorso'ran kando a tome._

 _Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an."_

Kebiin paused to take another breath, almost apprehensive to say the final word that would allow Cinder to begin her response. But this was something you didn't hesitate in. Kebiin was fully aware of that.

" _Bal.."_

Cinder's voice came in almost too enthusiastically, carrying all her grace and elegance into the completely foreign language.

" _Motir ca'tra nau tracinya._

 _Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a._

 _Aruetyc talyc runi'la solus cet o'r._

 _Aruetyc talyc runi'la trattok'o._

 _Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an."_

She handled the language better than Kebiin expected. Had he not known better, he could've sworn he was speaking with another Mandalorian.

"Is that it?" Cinder asked. Kebiin nodded. "...excellent..." Cinder's mouth curled into a wide grin after finishing her side of the oath, her shoulders moving slightly as she giggled. "I hope you remember this pledge. I surely will."

" _Mando'ad draar digu._ " Kebiin said as he rose back up. "A Mandalorian never forgets."

* * *

Crying was the first thing she heard when her eyes fluttered open. For the first time she could recall, the room she had woken up to was bright and clean. Her body ached all over, and one of her cat ears felt dried and scabbed. Her arm was hooked up to a machine that beeped every now and again, but she somehow knew that it wouldn't harm her. She was somewhere where she would be safe.

"Blake! Oh my god, she's really back!"

She turned her head and made out the fuzzy image of a girl with long golden hair holding her hand. Was she the one crying? It seemed so, but when she turned to see the other colorful figures around her bed, they were all crying as well. Were they all here for her?

"Blake? Is… is that my name?"

The golden girl stopped sobbing but still held onto her hand. "What do you mean?" She said. "You don't mean to tell me you've gone and forgotten your name now, have you?" The girl smiled worriedly.

"No, I've just… Blake, huh? Blake… Blake…" Blake rubbed her eyes, allowing all the people around her to come into focus. There were three girls around her, one in a red dress and hood, another in a more regal looking white garb, and the blonde that was already holding her hand. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

Blake could tell that her words had hit the girls like a brick. The red girl struggled to hold back her tears, the white one looked absolutely stunned and gave the impression that she was thinking of a past wrong, and the blonde merely stared at the floor. Even if she didn't know these girls, she still felt guilty for either not being the person they hoped for, or for not being able to remember them.

"Dammit, Blake…" The girl in white whispered, clenching her knuckles. "I ended up preparing a whole speech apologizing to you, and now… now…"

The girl strode over to Blake, who was getting ready to flinch. But instead of getting a slap like she expected, the girl in white simply gave her a big hug and let tears roll down her eyes.

"I'm so sorry!" She sobbed. "This is my fault! I drove you away and you got hurt! Blake, I'm so, so sorry!"

Blake didn't know how to respond at first. She had no idea what the girl was talking about, but Blake didn't want to let her cry alone like this. The blonde let go of her hand, allowing her to hug the girl in white back.

"It's okay." Blake said to comfort her. "I'm okay now, see? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes, I did!" she cried again. "And the very fact you can't remember how horrible I was is part of the problem! Why don't you hate me!? I deserve it!"

Even if Blake had no idea what the girl was talking about, she felt that she needed to do everything she could to comfort her. But what could she possibly say? She didn't have a clue about what might have happened. All she could do was hold the girl tighter, hoping that she could show that she forgave her of whatever she did.

The other girls were around her now, forming a pile of hugs. Blake couldn't help but giggle a little bit about her situation. She never expected so much affection like this. Then again, all she could remember was being locked in a dark room with-

"The boy!" Blake yelped. The girls let her go at her sudden burst of noise. "The one I was with! The monkey faunus! Where is he, is he okay? Can I see him?"

"The boy you came with?" The red girl said. "Yeah… I guess it makes sense that you would want to see him more than us…" She whispered. "Don't worry, he's safe. He's recovering in another room. Professor Ozpin is looking through Vale's citizen registry to find out who he is."

"Who's Professor Ozpin?" Blake asked. "How come you all know my name but not the boy's?"

"Blake." The blonde girl said. "I think we've got a lot of catching up to do."


End file.
